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{
    "id": 1545168,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1545168/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 218,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Methu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13581,
        "legal_name": "Methu John Muhia",
        "slug": "methu-john-muhia"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Speaker. I want to encourage Sen. Okiya Omtatah. You are not the only voice because you are a voice like that of Elijah Mwangale. Just like Elijah Mwangale, it is your work to tell the stone. Whether the stone wants to listen or not, it is up it. However, you are not the only voice on this particular matter, especially on the recommendations that have been made by the Committee on Finance and Budget. I am with you. I will not say that I support the recommendations that have been made by the Committee on Finance and Budget. More specifically, because I see them as a tap on the wrist of the Government. They are very moderate in terms of the recommendations that have been made on such a serious breach of the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. They never want to go for the jugular or say it as is. Sen. Omtatah, feel encouraged. It feels good to do the right thing. You have always been hand-tied in the past and you know. If this is how you have been feeling for the time that you have been speaking freely, we feel very good that you are now able to speak very freely without any baggage of being threatened by anybody that if you say this or that, this will happen. Thus, we are now able to speak very freely. Madam Temporary Speaker, we, as a country, are staring at an extremely difficult and dangerous situation. What we are staring at is a threat to the sovereignty of the Republic of Kenya. Our national debt has grown to Kshs11.2 trillion regardless of the route we have used to arrive at that figure as has been stated by Sen. Omtatah. Looking at the amount of money that we, as a country, are expected to service our debt with, it tells you that the sovereignty of this Republic is at great risk. The deliberate actions and steps that have been taken by President William Ruto’s administration are putting this country in a hole. It will be extremely difficult for us to get out of this hole. Looking at all the recommendations and submissions that have been made by the seven bodies that gave their recommendations on this report, none of them has applauded President William Ruto. Everyone, including the Members of that committee knows that the country is not on the right trajectory. If by June, 2025, our public debt service will be standing at Kshs1.95 trillion, it will be almost half of the national budget. If our budget for the next year will be at Kshs4 trillion and we are spending Kshs1.95 on servicing our national debt, that means for every one shilling that is collected, half of it is used to service loans. Sen. Omtatah has told us external loans are supposed to finance capital projects. I would also ask like Sen. Onyonka always asks: What is this hole that never fills? If every year we are paying Kshs1.95 trillion, how come our national debt does not reduce? We 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."
}