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{
"id": 181606,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/181606/?format=api",
"text_counter": 226,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Ongoro",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 125,
"legal_name": "Elizabeth Ongoro Masha",
"slug": "elizabeth-ongoro"
},
"content": " Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support this Motion and I am in agreement that the idea of devolved funds is very noble. However, certain parameters must be put into consideration if these funds are going to impact positively at the grassroots level. It is incredible, for example, for a constituency like Kasarani, which covers an area of almost 90 square kilometres with a population of almost 700,000 people, almost 43 per cent of them living below the poverty line and with 46 per cent of households headed either by women or children, to receive an almost equal allocation of funds like a constituency which has 60,000 people. If this kind of trend is not corrected, then this noble idea is going to be negated and the impact is not going to be felt in certain constituencies. Certain constituencies will still lag behind in development, despite the availability of such funds. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to say that in my constituency, for example, if I am to undertake any development project for the youth, I will be considering about 400,000 people. If my allocation did not consider this kind of variance, then I am not going to be able to impact positively on the youth in my constituency. I also want to say that in cases where we have infrastructure that is already developed in certain constituencies and areas of this country, it is incredible that those areas would still receive the same allocation as areas that are completely lacking in such infrastructural development. If we want to impact the development in this nation and if we want the people of Kenya to move uniformly and avoid issues such as were witnessed early this year, then certain parameters must be considered when we are allocating funds so that this positive noble idea impacts at the grassroots. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we look at the poverty levels in certain regions and constituencies in this country, you will realise that the strategic plans that any Member of Parliament in such a constituency will come up with, must completely be different from a strategic plan in an area where the poverty level is very low. If we want Members of this House to be effective and pass Bills that are going to encourage development in every area of this nation and to avoid development that is lopsided and truly consider ourselves as one people and unified nation, then we must stop this pretence of giving equal allocation when it is so obvious that some areas in this country are lagging behind. I recently took some visitors on a tour and while we were touring some parts of this country, I am sorry to say, they asked me if we were still in Kenya and I was so embarrassed. If we want to avoid those kind questions and avoid exposing our youth to the idea that they really do not belong to this nation, and any occurrence that definitely if not addressed rightly right now will still erupt, then this House must support that we must take into consideration all factors that may influence the impact of such funds. These funds must be allocated according to the grassroots data that is contained within every region, society and constituency. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for example, in my constituency, there is a very high prevalence of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV) infection and the funds allocated to it can hardly cope. It is the same Government that presents us with data collected at the grassroots. So it October 29, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3091 is incredible for the same Government while allocating these funds to give us less when they have even given us data. I am left wondering why they still allocate funds not according to their own data but according to other parameters. If the same Government is presenting you with data that this region has got a 70 per cent prevalence of HIV, then why is it that when it comes to the time of allocating the same funds, then that region is given less? It would only be logical that, that region is given 70 per cent of the allocation. These kind of hypocrisies must stop because we are not dealing with dummies in this country; we are dealing with an elitist society. These are people who are educated and exposed. Our youth are now exposed to all manner of information and while you want to force them to remain united and they read certain issues and come across data and facts that make a different statement from what we as leaders and the Government are trying to tell them, then that is an effort in futility. We are building castles in the air! If we continue building castles in the air, it is a time bomb. We have to address this issue and accept that we are not going to continue with uniform allocation of funds; be it the Constituencies Development Fund, (CDF), Kenya Roads Board funds, Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) or Women Enterprise Development Fund (WEDF). When allocating the women fund, we want to be told how many women are in each constituency, how many women are in a constituency who live below the poverty line; and how many youths are found in a particular region so that when presented with data on allocation, then, it will make logic and will be supported by all. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}