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"id": 183437,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Muthama",
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"legal_name": "Johnson Nduya Muthama",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Vote of the Ministry of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030. I want to concur with those who have contributed earlier; I want to add a few points to what has been said. I want to thank the Ministry through the Minister for being one of the very important Ministries in our country. The Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) kitty is under this Ministry. We have seen the allocation of 2.5 per cent that has been channelled to the constituencies having some impact. Before the formation of CDF, there were no development projects that could be identified at the constituency level. Highways are being constructed by the Government. When you look at water, it is through the CDF that someone can identify boreholes. This has been initiated through the CDF. In the past, we could not talk about boreholes in any constituency. That also applies to dispensaries. It was difficult for someone to pinpoint a dispensary that was constructed before the CDF was created. It also applies to schools. It was extremely difficult for the central Government to channel money to construct a classroom and hand it over to parents. That was an impossible mission. Money to build primary or secondary schools was channelled through the Ministry of Education, and it could not make an impact. Now, I can walk in my constituency and propose a project through the CDF committee and Kshs2 million can be spent to construct a secondary school to completion. In the past, it never used to happen. So, what I am trying to say is that having the 2.5 per cent, which is an allocation from our total Budget, is having some impact. My suggestion to the Ministry is that if Kenyans have to see development, then raise it up to between 7.5 per cent and then to 10 per cent of the Budget, so that we can initiate development projects at the constituency level. It is next to impossible to achieve it from any other source except through the CDF. So, when consideration is being given, let it be clear that 2.5 per cent is very minimal, and we would like it to be raised to between 7.5 and 10 per cent. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other day when the Minister was allocating funds, the poverty index was taken into account. But the poverty index was worked out in 1999. At that time, my constituency had about 75,000 voters and the total population was actually 220,000. In 2007, at the time of voting, the registered voters were over 125,000. Since the number has increased, we need census to be done. This being a developing country, we should be aware of what is happening. We need to know our population in every two years. We do not want to work October 21, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2855 with estimated numbers, yet we have the capacity to do the census. It is wrong to be working with estimated numbers as if we do not have people to do that work, yet we have people who do not have jobs. I suggest that a census be done in every two years. We are now talking about the review of constituency boundaries and the Constitution review. But unless we have these put in place in the right manner, we will just be making suggestions that cannot be implemented. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to caution the Minister and ask him to kindly look into the issue of the managers of CDF. They behave as if they are the bosses of the constituencies and the Members of Parliament (MPs), themselves! It is very clear that the MP is the custodian of the Fund. It is the MP who should prove to his constituents that development projects have been initiated by the Government. There are many obstacles that have been created by the CDF managers. The Minister needs to look into that and make sure that those officers are advised about their role. Some of them even say that MPs are not their bosses. You would wonder who is their boss! Who are they going to work with, if the MPs are not their bosses? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have a problem in my constituency and the Minister should note it. Kangundo was made a district three years ago. But, up to today, its Authority to Incur Expenditure (AIE) is channelled through Machakos District. We have complained by sending letters to the Office of the Minister. We have expressed our concern but, still, we are being taken round in circles. Where are the pens and typewriters to write letters to give instructions? Does it have to take two months for an officer to effect the transfer of the account and AIE to the newly created districts that have been there for the last three years? Our movements have been made next to impossible. We need that to be taken care of. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, money from the CDF does not only initiate projects, but also creates jobs. The jobs that the Government is trying to create can be generated at the constituency level. That is because the more money you have through CDF, the more projects you will initiate. By having those projects being initiated at the constituency level, people will find jobs. Probably, we will not have the big number of youths that are flocking to Nairobi. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as Mr. Mututho has just said, we have mortgaged our country. Foreigners have come here in the name of investors. They initiate projects and control 100 per cent of those investments. I am an investor who has even invested outside this country. The law in other countries is very clear. Unless citizens of those countries own a certain percentage, there is no foreigner who can be allowed to invest. Why should people be allowed to come here and take all what belongs to this country by using one simple name - Investor? That word can mislead. We want our people to own properties. Anyone who wants to put up a cement factory here is doing that because we have what it takes. We have the raw materials for that company to come here. Anybody who comes to open an apparel factory here at our Export Processing Zone (EPZ)--- Do not be cheated! He is not helping this country. Mind you, those are business people who invest to harvest more. It is not a gift. Kenyans eyes have been closed and they tend to think that foreign investors come here to help this country. For someone to qualify as an investor here, he or she needs only US$10,000. It sounds like a big amount of money when it is being discussed in foreign currency. But, in other words, it is only Kshs720,000. How many Kenyans in this country can raise that amount of money? At least, we cannot say 20 per cent. But I am sure that 10 per cent of Kenyans can raise that money and be regarded as investors. But some of those foreign investors do not deserve the recognition that they are being given. What we are trying to say is that our culture and rights must be recognised. Anybody who wants to invest here must be made to realise that he must work with Kenyans. With those few remarks, I beg to support. 2856 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 21, 2008"
}