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{
    "id": 1545152,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545152/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 202,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Onyonka",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13592,
        "legal_name": "Onyonka Richard Momoima",
        "slug": "onyonka-richard-momoima"
    },
    "content": "that we were borrowing when we would need a stopgap measure where we would borrow most probably 10 or five percent, or whatever the balance was, and then our budget would be balanced, and we would keep on moving as the economy was growing. Now, we borrow for big projects. We borrow for those projects where billions and billions, not Kenyan shillings, but billions and billions of American Dollars are borrowed. As a result, the money that was supposed to deal with the basic issues of our governance and existence, for instance, the health sector, education, agriculture, and the very basic sectors of our economy that are to deliver for the Kenyan public, is taken to do big-time projects because that is where we get our kickbacks. That is where we generate our revenue by arguing and saying, “No, you do not have to spend any money in farming. Look for something big that you can do. That is where the money is shared and that is where we really do not have to work very hard about this because even if we borrow, we will be able to pay this money anyway.” The problem is, soon, we are not going to be able to pay this money because we are at 68 percent. If by next year we are going to borrow another Kshs1.2 trillion like we did last year, the reality is soon we are going to be at 90 percent and then after that Kenya will just become like Thailand. We will not pay our debts back or pay salaries. The economy will just become an economy. It will become a supermarket. Essentially, what does a supermarket do? We become consumers. Then you do not have to worry about agricultural development and growth of the health sector. In fact, we, as a people, will begin thinking about whether to take our patients to Rwanda, which is offering their health facilities better than we are, or are we going to educate our children in Rwanda where the children are going to school achieving the grades they want. The educational sector is actually teaching mathematics, yet in our country, we are now saying we do not even have to allow kids to learn maths. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to make a passionate plea to my colleagues in this House. The responsibility of fixing the mess we are in falls particularly on this House. Our country has a problem. We are not able to transform this country from a low- level, middle, low-income developing country into a mid-level, upper-level developing country. We are slowly going back to where we used to be, an underdeveloped country, a country that depends on its revenues so that it can govern itself on a daily basis. We are not going to be a country that invests on those sectors that are going to change the livelihoods of our people. We are not a country that is willing to tackle the issues that are important. We must make the Central Bank of Kenya to be independent. We must make the National Treasury to become advisory, so that its responsibility is to advise the President on what the economic issues are on a micro and macro basis. What do we do with the interest rates? What are we doing with investments and savings? Why is investment in Kenya becoming a problem? Why are companies moving out? Once companies move out of your country to go and invest somewhere else, then you have less of your people getting jobs and generating revenue for themselves, and you have less of the Government taking taxes, and you cannot continue taxing people indefinitely. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, many of my colleagues have brought wonderful issues in this place. In this House, I am so happy with what is being discussed. We must ensure The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}