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{
    "id": 189477,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/189477/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 218,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. M. Kilonzo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 47,
        "legal_name": "Mutula Kilonzo",
        "slug": "mutula-kilonzo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want first of all before I reply, to pay tribute to officers in my Ministry and above all, to the Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research Analysis (KIPPRA). They are wonderful people because today is the 76th day since I was sworn in as Minister and in my hands is a final draft strategy that we will present to the country shortly. This document has been prepared 100 per cent by Kenyan specialists and professionals, working sometimes 24 hours a day because I had been driving them very hard. So, I want to pay special tribute to those people. I also want to pay special tribute to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) because they themselves, in fact, have lent us space. As you are aware, mine was one of the few new Ministries and we did not have accommodation and even as I speak to you, we are relying on NESC for boardroom services. In fact, only until about two weeks ago, I was using their motor vehicle for running around doing Ministerial work. It is tremendously encouraging and overwhelming to find Kenyans working so jointly and unanimously as this House has demonstrated this afternoon by unanimously speaking in favour of a truly wonderful idea for our country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want first of all to very specially thank all the hon. Members who have contributed to this and tell them that they have not even heard it all. The research in my hands is showing that per year, we are losing as a country, Kshs29 billion to waste just on traffic jams. If you calculate the amount of money that we are spending on fuel, man hours, wear and tear, the cost is phenomenal and yet I am not begrudging the Treasury for giving me only Kshs2.7 billion, but I want to assure you that we have the energy, interest and above all the vision of being able to transform this metropolitan area without purely relying on taxes. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I cannot afford to go into the pockets of Kenyans to look for more money. They are already overtaxed and, therefore, I want to salute His Excellency the President for assigning to us the responsibility to look for sustainable funding mechanisms for funding the infrastructure that we are going to create in this metropolitan area. I want to assure Mr. Mututho that Naivasha is uppermost in our minds and although it does not come within the geography of the metropolis, we are well aware of the facilities and good health and other alternatives that will offer the spill over like Mr. Kajwang was saying. We cannot and I want to assure my colleagues particularly Mr. Kajwang, that I am not going to create another Dubai, Manhattan or for that matter another London. The dream we have is to create a green city in the sun. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will be coming to this House. I will be going to the President to request that we gazette Ngong Hills to become the third national park within the Nairobi Metropolitan Area."
}