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{
    "id": 1502320,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1502320/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 237,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "was surprised. Some areas that really demand and require these additional units are not getting them while areas that hardly require them are getting them. We cannot have a country where some areas are favoured and others are being left behind. So, the issue of equity automatically requires some improvement. The matter of human rights is another governance issue which the country is not achieving the expected standards. We have seen the human rights of Kenyans being abused. When we talk about abductions or people being shot, these are the issues that this country needs to address. The President made attempts in his Address, but I believe there is room for improvement. Kenyans would want progress in these areas. Hon. Temporary Speaker, regarding corruption, it is good that there was an admission that we need to face this ‘animal’ called corruption head-on. The issue of Adani Energy Solutions was very encouraging. It was very good to hear His Excellency the President mention cancellation of the contracts with Adani Energy Solutions. However, it has also been reported that Adani is involved in the Social Health Authority (SHA). How I wish that the involvement of Adani in SHA could also be discontinued. Let me comment briefly on the economy. Economic issues are not simple. There are basic principles of economics, and when things happen, we expect other things to happen. I want to give you an example. It was reported that interest rates are going down. Under normal circumstances, when interest rates decrease, we expect credit to the private sector to increase. However, you will be surprised to see that, if you look at the figures that have been recorded, the statistics show otherwise, which means we need to question this reduction in interest rates. Another issue is inflation. I think Hon. Mbui spoke well on this. I hear many of my colleagues talking about inflation coming down. If you look at the range Kenya is targeting, it is between 5% and 2.5%, which means we are within the range. However, it is surprising that despite inflation coming down, Kenyans are still complaining about the cost of living. From an economist's perspective, prices are coming down because we have suppressed demand. People have no money to buy, and since demand surpasses supply, then prices come down. These are basic principles of economics, and you cannot change them. So, even if inflation comes down, we need to look at what is happening out there. Lastly, I would like to comment on the foreign exchange rate, from Ksh169 to Ksh129. Those are the statistics, but we need to ask ourselves whether we are controlling this, or it is being controlled. We know we are under a flexible foreign exchange regime, but I suspect that these are not entirely the result of market forces. Even as we pride ourselves on having 4.8 months of reserves, I ask myself: are these dollars generated through exporting, or are they coming from the loans we have received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank? These are the hard questions, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Unless they are answered, we will be having what we call ‘‘optics’’."
}