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"id": 189431,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. C. Kilonzo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 46,
"legal_name": "Charles Mutavi Kilonzo",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir,. First, let me thank my colleague and namesake. Originally, people thought this was a political Ministry but I am sure my brother will prove them wrong. Just going by the vision of the Ministry, that will tell you a lot of things to come. If I may read it: \"The vision of the Ministry is to develop Nairobi metro area into a world class metropolis\". I think that is an A+. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, that said, there are a lot of challenges and more so to the public and it is upon the Ministry to also move with the public. Some of the challenging questions by the public are for example: What is the role of the Ministry? What is the role of the Ministry of Local Government? Another question that people are wondering is: Will the Nairobi Mayor listen to the Minister from this Ministry? Another question people are asking is: Should the Ministry restrict itself to only Nairobi City or should it not take care of the other cities like Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru? All that said and done, the last thing this Parliament would want to see is a situation whereby our good friend is reduced to the position of a senior mayor. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, going by the Budget, I think I was a little bit disappointed. I expected more support to this very important Ministry being in charge of Nairobi, which is one of the biggest cities in Africa and also in the region. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, to allocate Kshs750 million for roads--- To tarmac a kilometre of road, we need Kshs30 million. So how many kilometres are we talking about? To talk about allocating Kshs100,000 for sewerage--- We have a serious problem of sewerage! There are many developments that are coming up in this city and we need a lot of money to develop the infrastructure! But, nevertheless, it was a move in the right direction. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to point out to the Minister some of the worrying issues. We must let our people know! The minute they think about the ownership of land- --Originally, when the Ministry was formed, there were those who thought that it was meant to grab land from areas like Kiambu, Machakos and so on. But let me assure the people that, in fact, it is a plus! If those boundaries are, indeed, extended to 40 kilometres or, do we suggest, 60 kilometres, the land value will appreciate overnight! A pauper will become a millionaire overnight! So, I would like to ask the Minister not to get discouraged. But you may need to move along with the councillors. But, most important, the ideal situation is to have the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development be in charge, in totality, of even the local authorities, the police and other necessary Government departments. That way, I think we will be moving in the right direction. But, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is where the challenge lies. One of the current serious problems in this city, and which the Minister has to look into as a matter of urgency--- I know you need to liaise with the other Ministries but, it is something which, if you were able to achieve it, Kenyans will always remember you. We used to hear about traffic jams in Nigeria in the 1980s and 1970s. It is no longer a Nigerian problem. It is now a Kenyan problem. If the City of London, which is far more developed than Nairobi, does not talk about traffic jams, what about a smaller economy? It takes you about 45 minutes to fly from Mombasa to Nairobi. Make a mistake of landing at the airport at 4.00 o'clock! It will take you exactly three hours to get to the town centre! You will also need, maybe, another one hour to get to where you stay. So, traffic jams are a challenge to this Ministry! We waste a lot of money in traffic jams. We say: \"Time is money!\" So, if you waste time in a traffic jam, you are losing money! I am sure my colleague, being a lawyer, knows what time is. 1896 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 16, 2008 Lawyers survive on time. I would like to ask him to try his level best until the issue of traffic jam is resolved. I thought the Ministry should have been allocated more money to, first of all, expand the roads. I know that some of the money is provided under other Ministries like the Ministry of Roads and even the Ministry of Local Government. But it would be better if that Ministry is given the full mandate to even supervise. That way, it can achieve its vision, mission and goals! Mombasa Road, from the airport to the City Centre, is a mess! Outer Ring Road is a disaster! Driving on Thika Road on Saturdays is a big problem! When will Nairobi get flyovers and tunnels? One advantage is that, perhaps, this is one of the Ministries with the right Minister. My namesake is a man of good imagination! He is a man who has travelled! I cannot agree more with the appointing authority that, indeed, he is the right man to watch over this City! With those few remarks, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support."
}