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{
"id": 187822,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/187822/?format=api",
"text_counter": 221,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
"speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Kenya is lucky because in terms of geothermal potential, it is only second to New Zealand in the world. We have over 4,000 megawatts in terms of geothermal potential, which has not been properly exploited. We need to exploit that resource. I see that the amount of money that has been made available to the Ministry is inadequate for the task. But, here, we can partner with other private sector investors. That is an area where we can apply the Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been saying that we must think outside the box. We must not only look at the traditional systems of generating power; diesel, fuel oil, hydropower generation, geothermal and so on! Let us also look at the possibility of using nuclear power! When you mention the word \"nuclear\", people shiver! But as an engineer, I do not fear nuclear energy. Peaceful use of nuclear energy is being done all over the world. Right now, they are developing the new generation of nuclear reactors in Britain, Germany, USA and Japan. Why not in Kenya? We can! I suggest to the Minister here that he should seriously consider a mini-nuclear power plant which will generate between 500 to 1,000 megawatts, which will be quite adequate for this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if I look at fossil fuels, we have coal in Kitui that we need to exploit. We also need to step up our exploration and search for hydrocarbons. I do not believe that nature could be so unkind to Kenya! We have crude oil in Uganda, Sudan, now in Tanzania and we have Kenya remaining here as an island! I believe very strongly that this country does have quantities of crude oil! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also need to develop capacity to regulate fuel prices in this country. The solution lies in strengthening the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK). We should give NOCK the muscle with which it can act to regulate the fuel prices! That is the reason why it was formed in the first place; so that it could be able to import crude oil cheaply! But that has not been the case. Let it be responsible for bringing in and storing the strategic fuel reserves in this country! Let the Government buy directly from NOCK. Then, we will find a way of making fuel more affordable to the people. So, empower NOCK! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need to expand the rural electrification network - roll it out! Africa is one of the darkest continents - not just dark in terms of civilisation, but dark by night! Africa is very dark by night and that is the time when most of the evil things are done! We need to light up this country. I am happy with the programmes that the Ministry has for rural electrification. Let us take electricity to the remotest parts of this country! Rural electrification is an infrastructure like roads. July 29, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2157 It is not commercially viable, but we must make a decision as a Government to take electricity to rural areas! It is one way of fighting poverty. When you take electricity to the rural villages, it triggers off certain economic activities; Jua Kali workshops spring up there; a lot of other small scale industries spring up there and provide employment! Wealth is created and people can manufacture certain things that they can take to the market. That is the reason why I fully support the Rural Electrification Programme in our country! Let us make it affordable. Let us also use some money, for example, from the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) to make it possible. The Government should bring power lines, but let hon. Members use money to buy transformers to bring electricity to the villages, particularly to the market centres in the country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Energy should look ahead 50 years from now. What country do we want to have 50 years from now? Now, we have the Vision 2030, but then in 50 years, what do we want? We want a highly industrialized society and a well organized country. The time to lay the foundation is now! This is the time when we must lay the foundation for a more industrialized Kenya! This is something that we owe to the future generations of our people! Let us take electricity to the schools, so that we can introduce computer literacy in our schools. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}