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"id": 193159,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/193159/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Muturi",
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"speaker": {
"id": 102,
"legal_name": "Barnabas Muturi C. Mwangi",
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot has been said about the Budget so far, but I would like to support the previous speaker by saying that quite a number of issues ought to have been addressed. The Minister should have allocated more funds to some sectors such as agriculture and education. Since we all agree that agriculture is the backbone of our country and it will help alleviate unemployment amongst our youth and reduce poverty, we need to urge the Government to address issues that are pertinent to eradication of poverty and improvement of health. I would like to appreciate that the Minister has seen the need to allocate some funds to food processing industries. We would be glad to see it happen because it will add value to mangoes and passion fruits. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister did indicate that factories will soon come up in Murang'a North, Kilifi and Keiyo districts, among others. While this is very encouraging, it would also be important that these factories are managed and run by small-scale farmers. The June 18, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1215 tendency we have had is that whenever food processing plants come up in this country, they are in the hands of foreigners. In actual fact, I would be more blunt and say that they should be in the hands of African Kenyans. Time has come for this country to behave like South-East Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, et cetera, where they have made sure that even if you have enough money to invest, the first consideration is given to the indigenous people. I do not see any reason as to why the same should not happen when it comes to food crop processing plants in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, a lot has been talked about the Ministry of Health. The Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) has done a great job in this country. Many dispensaries have been put up. Unfortunately, some of those institutions are just white elephants. It is time the Minister and the Government thought of how to recruit additional nurses and other medical staff to cater for the communities, who have spent colossal sums of money putting up those dispensaries and health centres. It is of no use for the same Government to give the CDF funds to put up schools and health centres when there are no staff to manage them. It is sad, to say the least. With regard to the education sector, while we appreciate that the Minister has allocated quite a substantial amount of money to the Ministry of Education - we have been told that the Ministry of Education is doing its best - the Ministry's performance leaves a lot to be desired. The country has shortage of 60,000 primary school teachers to serve in this basic education sector and yet, the Ministry plans to spend a lot of money to put up classrooms. It is not enough to put up classrooms or install electricity to secondary schools if there is no learning. Pupils can even learn under trees if schools are provided with an adequate number of trained teachers. Out of the 60,000 primary school teachers needed, the Government intends to employ 6,000. I wish the Minister was here to tell us how many more Budgets he will have to present to this House to be able to recruit 60,000 teachers for this country. It is inappropriate to invest in primary, secondary and post- secondary institutions and yet, there is no adequate learning. It is better to provide learning and teaching materials like laboratory equipment and books. It is of no use to cater for more schools to be built when we cannot get an adequate number of teachers. I will now talk about the youth employment and development. I am happy, like everybody else, that the Minister and the Government have considered giving additional funds to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. However, the youth polytechnics need improvement, especially the infrastructure. If we want to have the youth employed and be active in the rural areas, we need to supply youth polytechnics with tools, instructors, water and electricity. All these would go along way in improving the youth centres, polytechnics and Jua Kali sheds. If the Government invests well in these institutions, we shall be able to cater for young people in the rural areas. If the youth remain idle, they would turn to criminal activities. No wonder every Member of Parliament who stood here to speak has complained about harassment of the youth countrywide. It is not that our youth, all over the country, would wish to be harassed. It is because they are idle. There are not enough activities to cater for their time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is need to address the issue of the road network in this country. While we do appreciate that the intensive labour that we have in this country would help to put roads and enable motorists to access rural areas with potential to produce enough food for this country, the way this is done currently leaves a lot to be desired. If you go to other high potential areas, the earth roads are impassable during the rainy season. It would also be desirable if more funds were allocated for improvement of roads in those areas. Roads which require to be murramed, especially in the high potential areas, need attention more than ever before, if we want to feed our nation. A few issues were raised about inputs for small-scale farming activities. I would wish to draw the attention of this House to the fact that as much as we would want to talk about the 1216 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 18, 2008 provision of fertilizers by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) and other Government institutions, the tea farmers are now wondering whether they should keep on producing tea. We are told that Kenya produces quality tea. However, the Minister for Agriculture should know that tea farming is taking the same route that the coffee industry did. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the past, the issue of the coffee industry, especially with regard to small-scale farmers, was repeatedly raised and yet, the coffee industry is still going down the drain. I would like to give an example of a coffee society in my own constituency. About ten years ago, the Government advised that we separate the society. Later, the former Minister for Co-operative Development said that we should merge the societies. However, before the merger, the former Ministry of Co-operative Development recommended that a liquidator be engaged to liquidate the societies. Whereas the farmers societies were asked by the same Ministry to merge, to-date, the liquidator is still charging the small-scale farmers some money. What is he liquidating? What is the Minister, with this liquidator, doing with the farmers? From the proceeds of every crop that has been harvested, for the last four years, the liquidator has been taking about 20 per cent. What is he liquidating? What is the Commissioner for Co-operatives looking forward to after this fellow has gone on? The coffee industry is dying slowly while the Government and the Ministry of Co- operatives Development is watching. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, such actions by Government officers is what kills the morale of our small-scale farmers. These issues should be addressed quickly, if we want to continue harvesting coffee. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}