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{
"id": 192739,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/192739/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Linturi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 69,
"legal_name": "Franklin Mithika Linturi",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the problems that we have in this country of the landless and insecurity is as a result of the majority of the youth of this country being unemployed and not being engaged in very useful activities. So, when the Minister comes up with proposals that the youth shall be engaged in the construction of a road, to me, it is not enough because the only youths that would be engaged in such a venture are the unskilled ones. We have very many fresh graduates and many others doing business. The problem is that they are not in a position to raise enough funds to support their businesses. I envisaged a situation whereby the Minister for Finance would have come up with a proposal of setting up a fund of, say, Kshs10 billion and putting it in either Kenya Commercial Bank or the National Bank of Kenya to support the young entrepreneurs of this country. I believe that they are many and they have very good ideas. They are able to work. I am aware that some of them were able to win contracts with the Government. The Government is the biggest spender in this country, and if the youth are involved in doing business with the Government, then we shall be bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the procurement procedures, and the rigidity, in the finance sector of this country make it impossible for young entrepreneurs to access credit. That is why I feel that if such a fund is set up, it will go a long way in trying to help our youth. When you look at the processes of doing business you feel discouraged because you, for example, have to put in a bid bond. When you win a contract, you have a performance bond. After that performance bond you have to put in another deposit for an advance payment. All these are regulations, or requirements, which are not healthy for a young up coming business person. Therefore, the issue of the skilled youth would have been properly addressed if the Minister had set up a fund to really look into ways of trying to finance them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the allocation of money to non-productive Ministries makes it impossible for this country to develop. If proper money was put into irrigation and infrastructure development, we would be creating employment, and opening up some of the areas and linking them up with the others. Chances are that if these areas are opened up, there will be mushrooming of towns and other businesses, because people will be in a position to move freely. But when I look at the kind of money that the Minister allocated to the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS), I fail to understand why he did this. A sum of Kshs8 billion is a lot of money. This amount is short by Kshs3 billion the amount of money that goes to the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). The CDF takes about Kshs11 billion of the GDP, yet it impacts directly June 24, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1355 on the welfare of the mwananchi of this country. The NSIS is an advisory body. We do not know whether their advice is taken seriously, or whether it is just a way of misusing public funds. Unless we also come up with a Parliamentary intelligence committee that will be looking at the kind of advice that is sent to whichever office by the NSIS, or we give them power to arrest, to me, this is a lot money. It goes to a body that should not be receiving such a colossal amount of money. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of State for Defence takes around Kshs39 billion. This is a lot of money. This Ministry has been buying equipment for very many years. Kenya has not been at war with any country. Switzerland, for example, has no military, but has a very strong economy. If half of this money is put into productive Ministries, then we will be going a long way in trying to address some of the very serious problems that this country is facing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support the idea of hon. Members paying taxes. But the approach, and procedure, in which the Minister is bringing this proposal is not right. He is trying to play to the gallery, and portray himself as an angel and hon. Members as devils. I want to refer hon. Members to the Constitution of this country. Section 13 of the Constitution is very clear. It talks about the remuneration of the President of this Republic. Section 5 of the Constitution also confirms that the President of this country must be an hon. Member of Parliament. Section 13(5) says that you can never vary the allowances or the salary of a President to his detriment at the time of office. So, when we look at the procedure in which the Minister is bringing up the proposal--- When we look at Section 48 of the Constitution on how money Bills are brought to the House, it is very clear that if you have to bring it then you must have consulted the President."
}