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"id": 1440070,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kisumu West, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Rozaah Buyu",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Temporary Speaker, I want to thank you for this opportunity. At the outset, I would like to lend my support to the Equalization and Appropriations Bill from the Senate. I stand on the strength of our Constitution which was promulgated in 2010. The Constitution dictates that every Kenyan is equal to every other Kenyan which means that every area in this country is as important as any other. Because of that, in the Constitution, you find very many affirmative action programmes, either to bring people who are otherwise undermined to the same level as any other Kenyan or bring areas that are underdeveloped to the point that they are nearly as equally developed as all the other areas in Kenya. That is where the Equalization Fund comes in to bring up those areas that are underdeveloped in key elements that are necessary for human life like education, infrastructure, hospitals, schools and roads so that we all feel equal as Kenyans. I served as a Commissioner in the Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission (IIBRC) also known as the Ligale Commission, and I went around the country. There are parts of this country that are very remote, and without roads. Many children in those parts of the country have not even seen cars. The Equalization Fund was meant to make people in such parts of the country feel like they are Kenyans too. For this reason, I support this Bill. This Bill will bring those areas that are undermined or underdeveloped to the fore so that they are also developed nearly as the other parts of this country. It is a shame that we are almost getting to the 20-year time limit for the Equalization Fund. What will happen when ten years lapse and we have not benefited because the money appropriated has never been used toward this effort? Hon. Temporary Speaker, I support this amendment Bill from the Senate because it locks in the money that is meant for the Equalization Fund, so that if one financial year passes, it will still be locked for the intended purpose. That is the only way to go to ensure that those areas that are underdeveloped are brought to par with others. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}