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"id": 193195,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
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"legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this 1228 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 18, 2008 opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I would like to say from the outset that I support the Motion not because it is good, but out of desperation! It is because there is not much I can do about it, except to ventilate. In fact, we should start with the procedures of this House. There is no point of talking about something that you cannot do anything about. For the next two weeks, we will be talking and talking. Maybe, before I talk about my frustrations, let me commend the Minister. I think as he admitted, it was a very difficult Budget. Indeed, the challenges this time round were quite heavy and difficult. I am actually surprised that he has even contemplated an increased Budget. I wish him well. I also want to commend Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for continuing to raise our money. But until we tackle the issue of corruption, which we do not seem to be taking seriously in this country--- We are in a position to raise even more money, if there was less corruption in our society. The Minister, of course, has conveniently ignored that, for reasons that we can only speculate. The Minister has attempted to pacify this nation by claiming that he is focusing on the youth and unemployment. In addition, he claims to be dealing with issues of rising prices by cutting down the tax on wheat imports. That is a typical story. Where I come from, even bread is not an option. The only food that we eat - and which is the staple food of this nation -is maize. So, when you are tackling poverty among people, you should address yourself to the issue of maize. Increasing the strategic grain reserves to 8 million bags in a period of two or three years is not one way of going about it. If he could do what he has done in terms of fertilizer, where the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) is mandated to purchase and sell fertilizer, then we are going to stabilise the prices. That is what I expected the Minister to do even in terms of maize, where the Government can actually import maize and flood it in the market. The supply will drastically change the price of the commodity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Kshs100 million towards sports in every constituency totals up to Kshs210 million. I know people in this country will be excited about that. However, how do you expect people to go to play when they are hungry? Could we not find better use for that money; say, by putting in place a food-for-work programme or cash-for-work programme, so that our youth can actually engage in productive ventures at the same time we are giving them some cash injections. It is not just about promoting Nairobi Sports House or some other company that will be producing the equipment to be bought. We need to get our priorities extremely well. I think the Minister is just playing to the gallery and also playing politics when he should really be serious with the problems that affect this nation. This country is faced with inflation of 31 per cent, which is the highest ever. How is he tackling that? This country is also faced with high fuel prices. He did not touch on anything about the VAT so that it could help in terms of reduction of prices. If VAT is reduced, then the price of fuel might come down. This is what we need to do. We need to create an enabling environment so that Kenyans themselves can engage in meaningful development. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the four priority areas that the Grand Coalition Government is committed to include improving our economy, creating employment, reducing poverty and deepening our human development. I see this Budget leaving out the northern part of Kenya. It is talking about deepening human development. How do you deepen what you do not have? Connectivity is an issue. Mobile phone services do not exist along the highway between Lodwar and Lokichoggio. The Minister, in his own admission, has actually said that since Independence, the northern part of Kenya has been marginalised. It was not being recognised even though he appreciates the potential in terms of fisheries, agriculture and tourism. But what does he say? He says that the newly created Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya can only do co- June 18, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1229 ordination with Kshs2.4 billion. He has also given another Kshs2 million for projects within the Ministry and Kshs900 million for the construction of Garsen-Hola Road. We know how much is spend on one kilometre of tarmac in this country. Will Kshs900 million even build ten kilometres of tarmac along the Garsen-Hola Road? I was really excited when the Government created this Ministry. Even yesterday when the Deputy Leader of Government business was moving this Motion, it seems that the mindset of this Government is that the northern part of Kenya is North Eastern Province. This is a matter we are going to pursue because it is completely misleading and erroneous to assume that the northern part of Kenya, which includes North Rift Kenya, Upper Eastern Kenya and North Eastern Province as important as it is. You cannot reduce that Ministry to a North Eastern Province development Ministry. While you cannot even define the matter properly, what confidence should we have that this Government is serious with northern Kenya or is it another wish that they are approaching Somaliland? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to CDF, the Minister recognised its importance by saying that it has governance challenges. What governance challenges are in CDF that are not in the Central Government? Is that the reason why after raising enough revenue--- The law is very clear that CDF should be allocated 2.5 per cent as the minimum percentage. Out of the revenue that was generated, we expected CDF to be given Kshs11.6 billion. The Minister went ahead to allocate the same figure of last year, that is, Kshs10.1 billion. I want to give notice to the House that this is a matter that the Minister should be prepared to face because he has broken the law and he cannot get away with it. If there is any money we can account for, then it is the CDF money because it goes to each and every constituency. If you look at the allocations, it seems, and this is why we really have to work hard on the issue of Cabinet size--- If you asked the hon. Member for Gwassi today, he will tell you that Mbita headquarters was being constructed, but Gingo Headquarters was not being constructed because there is a Minister who comes from Mbita and not Gingo where the Member of Parliament for Gwassi comes from. If you look at the amount of money allocated to roads, there is such a relationship between the Minister and the money set aside for the construction of roads. This is to the extent that Kapenguria-Lake Turkana Road, which is our access to Sudan, was not allocated a single shilling. Sudan is a market that is ready for Kenyan commodities and products. It is a market that we can tap and increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) threefold. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, Uganda has taken advantage of this situation whereas Kenya played a major role in terms of bringing peace in Southern Sudan. Why can we not take advantage of that peace and have these dividends? I demand that the Minister should re-allocate this Budget to consider this extremely important road which requires only Kshs6 billion to be constructed. That way, we will not only promote economic growth in the northern part of Kenya, but also the entire country by accessing Southern Sudan. The malnutrition rates are very high in Turkana. It is almost 28 per cent. The level of poverty in this particular district is 94.9 per cent. This is data that the Minister is alive to. However, when you look at the allocations within the Ministry of Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, not a single project is for Turkana District. When you look at the projects that are meant to reflect regional balancing, that is, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which are supposed to improve growth, you can only find fish processing factories and leather industries in Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori, as if there is no Lake Turkana. I support this Motion because there is really not much I can do about this."
}