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{
"id": 1456538,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1456538/?format=api",
"text_counter": 3928,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Chepalungu, CCM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Victor Koech",
"speaker": null,
"content": "that we increase or enhance electricity connectivity in our constituencies. They say that if you want to remain in power, you have to give people power, and if we fail to give people power, we will be answerable to the people who gave us these particular seats when it comes to 2027. It is important as a House that we sit down and look into the ways of how we can bring back the Ksh14.5 billion that was going to help not only my constituency, but all the constituencies in the entire country. Sadly, we also lost Ksh10 billion that was going to the NG-CDF. We all know the magnitude of the work that is being undertaken by the NG-CDF. We are losing Ksh10 billion which was going to increase money to our constituencies by a margin of around Ksh30 million per constituency. There are constituencies that have been left behind for so long, like Chepalungu, that still have a lot of dilapidated infrastructure. This money would have greatly impacted the infrastructure in the constituency that I represent, and equally the entire country. It is now upon us, upon this honourable House, the Chairperson, Budget and Appropriations Committee, to look into ways of bringing back that particular money to improve education infrastructure and enhance bursaries. In the rural constituencies that we represent, most of the students rely heavily on bursaries. If we do not enhance it, it means that we are not coping with the increasing population. On roads, just like any other SAGA, there is a major cut. Entirely, we are losing over Ksh100 billion. Roads are a critical infrastructure that spur economic growth within our constituencies. The Finance Bill 2024 that was rejected sought to find, allocate and appropriate money that was going to handle roads that had been abandoned for a long time. We have the Daraja-Sita, Chebole, Koiti, Chebunyu and Emurua-Dikirr Road that cuts across three constituencies that was done, but is low volume and requires maintenance. This money is not available simply because we did not find money because we passed the Finance Bill 2024 that was not assented. It is now upon this House, the Budget and Appropriation Committee and the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure to sit together and find ways to get that money. We need to find ways of handling those particular roads. They are major connectors, but sadly, have remained impassable for many years. We have been promised, but the promise is not forthcoming. It is now upon this House to sit down, analyse our Budget well and find ways and possible solutions to allocating money to those particular abandoned roads. If they remain unmaintained for long, they will lose the purpose for which they were constructed. The three things we are elected by our people to deliver are majorly water, electricity and roads. On water, if we continue to underfund the water sector, our people will not access clean drinking water. As a country, we are not moving in the right direction. As we lament and talk about this Budget, it is not appropriate for us to sit back and say we are not going to make further adjustments and allocate more money to the water sector. It is upon us and the Chairperson to allocate money for water. We should deliberately allocate more money for energy, roads and education. Sadly, the Ministry of Education lost money for infrastructure, which normally comes in to add up to what the NG-CDF does. In the constituency I represent, there are many schools that are still in a sorry situation. The money allocated to the Ministry of Education for infrastructure adds up to what I do as a Member of Parliament. Saying that, that money is no longer available is destroying a constituency that was going to develop further. It is now upon the Chairperson, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro, to find money for infrastructure. I implore him to do that. The money was critical to rural constituencies. With those remarks, I support. Thank you."
}