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{
    "id": 1565834,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1565834/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 249,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I had a meeting with Karis who is our MCA from Ruai. Ruai is the largest wards in Nairobi City County. It is approximately 100 square kilometres. There are no roads that have been built by the County in Ruai Ward. He told me, there was an attempt to do a road called Kanisani Road, and about Kshs387 million was allocated. Then the road construction was broken into two parts, part ‘A’ and part ‘B.’ The contractor did something for part ‘A’. There were three rainy seasons later. The road was washed away because he did not have the resources to complete the road. He told me about the water situation in his ward. That cartels have gotten into the procurement for the connections from the main pipes to the homes and ensured that a tender is not awarded for that work. Up to today, the people of Ruai Ward are not enjoying that water that they were supposed to enjoy. I was shocked, that the situation in his ward is so bad that private people have decided to fund county services. That they ask for the county to give them a tipper, lorry or the machines that grade roads, then they fuel and pay for it. Are we really in a situation where private money has to be sourced for us to undertake services for our people? It is such a shame. These are the reasons why, I agree 100 per cent with our Committee on Finance and Budget, who have proposed Kshs465 million. For me, the line will be drawn in the sand at Kshs450 million because of the position that has been taken by my party. We will not support any attempts to claw back at devolution. The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury must make sure that there is observance of the disbursement schedule so that county governors can also plan. Lastly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to say something that arose in the course of the debate in the morning. As a Kenyan leader, I know that we leaders have a responsibility to Kenyans and no other person. I was deeply embarrassed that at a time when people are being deported from our neighbouring country. If you look at my passport, I have the blue passport. It says East Africa Community. When I was a Member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), at the council, we used to push for cross-border practice. There are Tanzanian lawyers who are qualified from the University of the Dar es Salaam, who practice law in our Kenyan courts. There are students at the Kenya School of Law from Tanzania and Uganda. I know lawyers who went to Kampala International University and Makerere, qualified and have come to the Kenya School of Law. They are practicing law in Kenya. So, for us to have a situation where people cannot be allowed to move freely in the community is something that we must call out. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have heard people trying to justify saying, these are activists. Activism in itself is not a crime. I know Tanzanian law. There is no law that says activism is a crime. So, I was deeply embarrassed to see our Foreign Affairs Minister, who should be our foremost defender, adopt a nonchalant, laid-back and lazy attitude yesterday on Citizen television, that he has not even summoned the Tanzanian Ambassador to ask him what was the reason why these brothers and sisters of ours were expelled."
}