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{
    "id": 191049,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/191049/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Gesami",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Public Health and Sanitation",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 19,
        "legal_name": "James Ondicho Gesami",
        "slug": "james-gesami"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I stand to support this Motion, because politics is about equity. 1560 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 2, 2008 We have to distribute resources in the whole country equally. That is the only way we can develop. We need to have equity in all sectors. Therefore, it is important that Parliament participates in the fiscal management of the Budget. It is us the representatives of the people who know where the shoe pinches. The farmer in this country is actually one person who has suffered. It does not matter whether it is a dairy farmer, cash crop farmer, cereal farmer and so on. It is Parliamentarians who can actually see where we can give subsidy. As a representative of the people, it is very important for Parliament to participate in the issue of the Budget. It is ironical that we talk about overseeing how taxes are used, but the same Parliament that oversees that does not participate in the issue of the Budget. We, therefore, feel, as hon. Members, that we are the right people who should have an input in Budget-making. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need equity in the education sector, infrastructure and the health sector. This country needs equity in all the sectors, and that is basically why we are in politics. There is no reason why we are in politics if we are not fighting. I am a Member Parliament for West Mugirango and I need to fight for equity for West Mugirango people. It is, therefore, important that we support this Bill and give control of budgetary issues to Parliament. There is no shortcut. This is a Motion that we must pass. Recently we learned that in the road sectors, some areas are given many billions and others very little money. If we were participating in the budgetary issues, then one of the key things would have been to make the Mombasa-Malaba Road properly passable. If today you go to Gilgil, you will not be able to continue to western Kenya, yet that is the lifeline of this country. That is why we feel that budgetary issues should be taken seriously by Parliament. The issue of a civil servant - by the way I just recently left the Civil Service - deciding that he is going to allocate a few millions to the road going to his home is something that we must come out of. This is one sure ingredient for chaos. We need to look at our sectors equally all over the country, participate, debate and agree that this is the way we want budgetary allocations made. This is an important Motion, and with those few remarks, I beg to support it."
}