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"id": 181627,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Otieno",
"speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Public Service",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, I would like to thank the hon. Member for allowing me to contribute and first to say that this is an excellent idea. The Motion may not be very precise but the idea is an idea whose time has come and everything should be done to achieve the spirit of this Motion. I would like to say that development is just not resources. It is both resources and leadership. There is a preliminary bit that has to be done throughout the country to prepare every region, constituency and location in this country for development under the right leadership dispensation in every area. Certainly the issue of regional inequality, particularly that has led to income inequality and the worst gender inequality in this country, is an issue we should take very seriously within the spirit of this Motion. But, what we need is not to change the existing devolved funds which are already under implementation under separate statutes. The country needs an equity fund to address the inequity in this country as regards regional disparities in development. Such an equity fund would be available and open for contribution from throughout the world. We should go out mobilising resources for an equity fund. What do I mean by an equity fund? This is a fund that would give priority to the worse developed areas to start with. For a long time, I have been agonizing on how we will wake up the North Eastern Province, where my brother Mr. I.E. Mohamed is responsible. I have just come from a conference of the Commonwealth Ministers of Public Service and I was glad to find a solution that actually, the northern provincial area can go direct to the information age and all we need are solar panels and water points. With clear development programmes, they will be ahead of the rest of Kenya. I feel excited! We need a much bigger fund than just a method of dividing what is already devolved under the present statutes. The time was too short, I will elaborate later. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}