Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 181852,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/181852/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Kaloki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 62,
        "legal_name": "Philip Kyalo Kaloki",
        "slug": "philip-kaloki"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand to support this budget which is very important. However, looking at my region, I cannot say that I am excited. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my area called Kibwezi is an area that has been facing acute shortage of food, rain and water for many years. We face the same kind of difficulties that we faced in 1963. Each year, the Government promises us that it is going to do far much better. However, every time we see the Budget, there is nothing! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I was just looking at the Estimates and I would like to be guided. This is because as I speak, the rains are about to come, but you find that people do not have the capacity to even buy food to feed themselves or money to buy seeds. I looked at the Budget and found something that is very disturbing; that is, Kshs48,000 has been allocated to Kibwezi to buy seeds! We can do without that amount! There is no budget for development for Kibwezi. We were expecting this budget to have the capacity to make available water for irrigation so that we can grow our own food and feed ourselves. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when you look at Kitale because we went to Mr. Eugene Wamalwa's homecoming party, you will find that the region is so blessed. They have a lot of food for their own consumption and also, a surplus which they can sell to their neighbours. But at the same time, you have three quarters of the country really having difficulties. If you look at the entire Ukambani region beginning from Mwingi all the way to Kibwezi, Makueni and Kitui, you find that people there are suffering. I call upon the Ministry to undertake an emergency programme to take that food from Kitale and give it to the people who deserve it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government has money but it lacks the policy. I am challenging the Ministry to help us. On the food security that is another area where we have difficulties because we do not have enough areas to store the food so that we are assured that farmers have food when they need it. So, I am requesting this Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, to spend a little bit more allocation in terms of food production and security. That way, we would not suffer each year. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rest my case and support this Budget with a lot of reservation when I look at allocations to my area. Thank you."
}