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{
    "id": 157561,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/157561/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 208,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Let me briefly speak about reforms. If we are genuine about reforms, then they must start right from the top. We are in this situation because of the events of 2007 but our economy cannot be shrinking and we are facing a global recession and yet we continue to have a big and large Government like we have today. Part of the reforms that must take place is that we must constitutionalise the number of ministries that this country is going to have. If you look at the estimates of last year’s Budget, the Government was going to collect Kshs480 billion from tax-payers but the same Government was going to spend about Kshs400 billion in Recurrent Expenditure; therefore, living only Kshs80 billion for Development Expenditure. When Kshs80 billion is scattered over Kshs40 Ministries, it simply tells us that we can never develop this country. So, we have to reduce the size of the Government to increase the slice of money that goes towards development. I know that we have done a lot on our roads but surely, we are only maintaining the existing roads and we have not started or reached a stage which we can start to construct new roads to open up this country. Therefore, we seem to be in a vicious cycle of maintaining what is there. So, we need to move forward. We need reforms by way of a new Constitution. I know that year-in, year-out, whoever is the Minister in charge of constitutional affairs tells us that we shall have a Constitution within one year. I heard the remarks of Mr. M. Kilonzo that we can have a new Constitution by the end of the year. I really want this House to put the Minister for Justice, Constitutional Affairs and National Cohesion to hold to his word; that, indeed, we shall have a new Constitution by the end of this year. Unless we have a Constitution that is able to look after the majority of this country, then we will never be able to move forward."
}