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{
    "id": 1581326,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1581326/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 104,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "from Nairobi National Park to the Maasai Mara, so that people could encroach into the National Park. When I heard that, I was livid. I said to myself, \"Good Lord, what has come of this old man?\" Is it that he does not see the danger caused by rural–urban migration, especially at a time when we in the Senate are fighting to allocate more funds to counties? It dawned on me that everyone is looking at Nairobi as the only place to run to. It is about time we either seriously engage and amend the Constitution to further empower the Senate and by extension, the counties so that we stop the rural-urban migration. The national Government should seriously embark on a journey to develop new cities where people can settle and thrive. However, the thought of turning a national reserve; the Nairobi National Park, into a concrete jungle, is something that should not even be entertained. As I conclude, let me once again appreciate the work of Sen. Ali Roba. I have known him for quite some time. I appreciate his diligence, agility and dedication to service. If I were to come here and fight to defeat this, it would benefit neither him nor me. The reality is that we have to understand the circumstances in which we live. I appreciate the work that has been done in allocating the additional Kshs28 billion to counties. I am quite happy. I hope we can continue on this trajectory of ensuring that we do not factor in what comes from the Bretton Woods Institutions. The day we say goodbye to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank is the day we will begin to develop as a nation. Our laws should be and shall be determined by our own circumstances, but not by external forces that influence our decision-making in this country. That is critical. If we are to develop legislation based on what other jurisdictions or governments think, we will never break free from these shackles. I was perplexed today. I had spoken with three young men who applied for visas to go to the United Kingdom (UK). These applications were part of a government-funded programme. The Government of Kenya was paying to train these young people, so they could return and support this country. However, a decision was made in Pretoria that the money they had in their account is not sufficient to support them despite the fact that the national Government is funding. They went further and said that they have seen certain transactions in their bank statement that they have not been able to explain. Therefore, foreign entities are taking on the role of the Auditor General of this country. It is ridiculous. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as we divide our revenue, let us remain local. Let us encourage own source revenue. Let us empower county governments to develop other mechanisms for raising their own revenue. Number two, when we come up with our foreign policy, it is time we remember that it should be a give-and-take. I had a conversation with the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs concerning the issue of young Kenyans being denied visas based on having small amounts like Kshs1,000 or 5,000 in their accounts. Maybe they earned it selling tomatoes or from a side hustle they could not clearly document, yet the visa application did not ask to explain how they made their living. It only asked how they plan to support their stay in the UK. 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."
}