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{
"id": 195882,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/195882/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
"speaker": {
"id": 192,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kasaine Ole Nkaissery",
"slug": "joseph-nkaissery"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very April 24, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 675 important Motion. I would like to thank the Minister for bringing here the names of the Board for approval. This issue is overdue. Some of our constituencies are lacking behind in terms of providing services to our constituents. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to support the former speaker, who said that the Board should not be an impediment, obstacle or a bottleneck in the implementation of very important development projects. The CDF was meant to improve the lives of our people. That is really the bottom line. It was developed, so that people in the marginalised areas could be able to get services through their elected representatives. Therefore, in the reforms that the Minister is going to put in place--- We had recommended that the budgetary allocation equivalent to 2.5 per cent of the Government annual revenue set the CDF law should be raised to, at least, five or seven per cent, so that the constituencies are able to develop without relying on the central Government to provide resources. When you look at what the 2.5 per cent has done for this country since the CDF was introduced, it is remarkable compared to the 97.5 per cent left with the central Government. We can see development of schools, hospitals and roads. We now have a real change of face of this country, because of this 2.5 per cent. In the constituencies we come from, you cannot identify the development projects implemented with the 97 per cent of the money left with the central Government. But you can see what the 2.5 per cent has done. So, we would like to recommend that in this financial year, 2008/2009, the 2.5 per cent be raised to five per cent. In the following financial year, 2009/2010 the rate should be raised further to 10 per cent. We can stop at that and do wonders for this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other reform I would like to recommend is the issue of bursary. There is really no point of putting up classrooms if we cannot take our children to school. We need to raise the amount of money set aside for bursaries in the poor districts to 20 per cent. This should not be pegged on a national policy of 10 per cent, because the needs of constituencies are not the same. There are some constituencies which produce coffee, others gold, oil while some of us are look after livestock. The livestock have died and our people are now poor. We want to raise the money set aside for bursaries to at least 20 per cent. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we should not be bogged down by the Board. The Board is an employee, or appointee, of this House. Therefore, that Board cannot be a bottleneck; it should not insist that we cannot move on because the policy has not been changed. We are the policy makers. I would recommend, especially for my constituency, that we raise bursary from 10 per cent to at least 15 per cent. It is within the law and the powers of this House to pass that, because we must take our children to school. We have many children enroling in schools and their parents cannot afford school fees. In the reforms that the Minister is going to put in place, he should raise the money meant for administration purposes. I support my colleague, who said that we should raise this amount to five per cent, so that we can get employees for the Constituency Development Committees (CDCs). We cannot get qualified people because we cannot pay them well. Some of the CDC members who attend meetings every month come from very far. I know some hon. Members do not know the size of some constituencies. Some of the CDC members are from every corner of the constituency. For those of you who do not know the geography of this country, and I want the Minister to listen to this very carefully, my constituency starts from Hunters Lodge on Mombasa Road up to Magadi. If a gentleman is supposed to come all the way from Hunters Lodge to attend a CDF meeting he needs transport, sitting allowance and lunch. He may not be able to go back home; so, he may require accommodation. We want to raise, at least, the allowances of CDC members from 676 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES April 24, 2008 Kshs2,500 to Kshs5,000 per sitting, so that if a person attends a meeting and is unable to go back to his or her home, he or she can, at least, take care of himself or herself. These are fundamental reforms that the proposed Board should look into. If we will be in a position to do that, I am sure no hon. Member will be visiting Ministries, because if every constituency gets about Kshs100 million, hon. Members will be at home developing their constituencies. Every Kenyan will be able to access education without any problem. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support the Motion."
}