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"id": 192942,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Musila",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
"speaker": {
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"legal_name": "David Musila",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I stand here to support the Motion. I want to applaud the Minister for working so hard to come up with this Budget. Having said that, this was my 11th Budget Speech in this House. Experience has shown that we sit here and listen to the Budget Speech but, more often than not, we do not see the results of the Budget. The Budget was good, but the most important question is: Is it going to be realised? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to touch on energy. This House knows that the costs of energy have gone up. I also note that the Minister proposes to provide Kshs4 billion for geothermal exploration, Kshs300 million for solar and Kshs200 million for wind generation. In this country, we have enormous deposits of coal in Mwingi and Kitui districts. However, throughout his Budget Speech, the Minister did not say anything to do with coal when we know that we can very well mine this coal and turn it into fuel, as China is doing, and save on energy. So, I would like to urge the Minister for Finance to ensure that the Ministry of Energy gets the necessary funds to exploit coal, which is found in huge deposits in this country. This is the only way we can reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil. I cannot understand why the Minister has neglected this resource, which is so abundant in Mwingi and Kitui districts. I hope that quick action will be taken on this matter. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Minister always stands here and tells us about the allocation of funds for infrastructure. However, there are certain areas which have been neglected in the development of infrastructure. I want to say something about Road B2, which runs from Kibwezi to Kitui. I understand that roads are classified in accordance with their importance. This is a Class B road, but it remains untarmacked 45 years after Independence. What is the criteria being used in tarmacking other roads? I am told that the tarmacking of this road was planned as early as when the current President was the Minister for Finance. To date, the road remains untarmacked. May I appeal to the Minister to ensure that Road B2 is tarmacked along with others. Similarly, Road C94, Mbondoni- Kabati, linking Mwingi and Kitui, should be tarmacked, so that they connect. This will ease communication between Mbeere, Embu and Mombasa. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Minister said that he had allocated Kshs2.4 billion for the development of northern Kenya. My understanding is that the Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands was created, not just for northern Kenya, but for other ASAL districts as well. However, throughout his Speech, the Minister tends to suggest that the funds which are allocated to this Ministry are solely for northern Kenya; that is, the North Eastern Province. I want to remind the Minister that we have 22 arid and semi-arid districts in this country, which should be covered along with northern Kenya. Those districts are in northern Rift Valley Province, Eastern Province, North Eastern Province and even Coast Province. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Minister must put his act together and ensure that the funds allocated to the Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands also cover the ASALs, which are not necessarily in North Eastern Province. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to applaud the Minister for providing funds for the development of water. However, I still want to emphasise that it is not fair that, 45 years after Independence, Kenyans walk 20 kilometres in search of drinking water. Therefore, it is hoped, that this time round, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation is going to make a difference, and ensure that water is made available to communities. People have to walk for 20 kilometres, particularly in the ASALs, including in my own Mwingi District. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of food shortages has been talked about. It is very real in this country. There has been the School Feeding Programme, which has continued for many years. 1284 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 19, 2008 However, we have been shocked to learn that, recently, the Government and the World Food Programme (WFP) agreed to reduce the amount of food supplied to the School Feeding Programme. This does not make sense, because we now have food shortages. It means, therefore, that children have no access to food, but instead of increasing food, so that children can have food during lunch hour, this has been reversed. The School Feeding Programme now appears to be in jeopardy. Therefore, I am appealing to the Minister to do everything possible and ensure that he increases the food meant for children in school. You cannot reduce food when there are shortages. It should be increased because we have a problem. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to touch on health. We have a problem with the projects constructed using the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). These projects remain unutilized. They are very many throughout this Republic. May I appeal to the Ministry of Medical Services to ensure that all the facilities constructed using the CDF are opened forthwith, so that they can serve the purpose for which they were constructed. This is very important, because we know that members of the public have to travel many kilometres seeking simple treatment like first aid. If these dispensaries are put into use, I have no doubt that the Ministry will be going along way in assisting the people. Mr. Speaker, Sir, talking about the CDF, I do not know whether you are aware that this year the Ministry of Finance, and for that matter the Minister of State for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030, who is sitting here, has not released the CDF funds. Under the law the Ministry of Finance is supposed to release 2.5 per cent of the revenue collected. We know that there was change of guard in the leadership of the CDF. However, that does not mean that the Minister for Finance should not release the funds. Mr. Speaker, Sir, most constituencies, if I am not mistaken, all of them, received only a fraction, a quarter, of the CDF funds for this financial year. As I speak today, 19th, June, 2008, the Ministry of Finance has not released three-quarters of the CDF funds. This means that projects under the CDF have been at a standstill since the beginning of this year. May I, therefore, ask the Minister for Finance to, before doing anything else, release the CDF funds tomorrow, so that after we come to the new financial year, we await the new allocation. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}