HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1618412,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1618412/?format=api",
"text_counter": 4516,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Endebess, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Robert Pukose",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation, as well as Hon. Nyikal, Chairperson of my former committee, the Departmental Committee on Health. Hon. Temporary Speaker, this has been a very involving budget where chairpersons have engaged their departmental committees. They have appeared before the Budget and Appropriations Committee after listening to their respective Ministries, Departments and Semi- Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs). I would ask the National Treasury to ensure that they release the money in a timely manner, as this has been the biggest problem. They must release the funds on time so that these projects can be implemented. This Budget is very informative. It affects all the parts of this country. It applies equity in it. A total of Ksh2 billion has been allocated for the Coffee Cherry Fund to support the many farmers involved in coffee production. Some farmers may not understand this, and as a result, they may end up borrowing money from banks, which have very high interest rates, making coffee farming a slightly more expensive activity. They should apply for this Fund, which has low interest rates. Additionally, we have provided a fertiliser subsidy of Ksh8 billion. We have also provided a subsidy to the Kenya Seed Company for the provision of maize seeds and other seeds. There is also funding for the mopping up of legumes within the region through the Kenya National Trade Corporation (KNTC), which may also involve the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB). A total of Ksh2 billion has been set aside for the sugar sector to ensure that the reforms are implemented. During the recent Madaraka Day celebrations in Homa Bay, His Excellency the President stated that we had not sold out the sugar companies. Instead, we have leased them out to ensure they become productive and turn around the sugar sector. For many years, our farmers, especially those in the Nyanza, Western, and Coastal regions, who have engaged in sugar farming, have not been doing well due to widespread mismanagement and corruption. That has ended up discouraging farmers. We hope that with the Ksh2 billion and the reforms within the sugar sector, things will move in the right direction. We are working under financial constraints and, therefore, in the revenue-raising measures, many people have said we should not borrow more so as not to continue incurring more debts. Therefore, I urge our county governments, especially through the Senate, that the Ksh5.1 billion that is being given to them, plus the additional Ksh69 billion, which is a conditional allocation, be well utilised to see development. If that money is well utilised, we should see development. In the recent conditional additional allocation to the counties, my county, Trans Nzoia, received Ksh96 million for road construction. I hope that the county government will properly utilise that money to ensure that towns like Endebess, Kitale, and Kiminini have properly done roads within their area. As many of my colleagues have pointed out, when you move into the counties or constituencies, it is easy to see a project that has been funded by the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). But it is very difficult to see a project that the counties have done. In this Budget, the NG-CDF money has been enhanced to Ksh58 billion. We hope that the NG-CDF money for this financial year will be released before the end of the financial year. This will ensure that Members can do their projects. We also hope that the funds for the next financial year will be released on time, so that the constituencies can complete their projects. Agriculture is the backbone of this country. With the Ksh8 billion subsidy for fertiliser and the Ksh2 billion allocated to the Kenya Seed Company to subsidise maize seeds, we hope that our food production will increase. This will ensure that Kenya can feed its citizens. That it is food secure. That is what we have achieved since this government took office. We have had good rainfall and good production. I think nowadays we no longer see anyone carrying a"
}