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"speaker_name": "Mr. Mututho",
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"content": "Thank you, Deputy Speaker, Sir. I support the Minister in his wonderful selection of the Board. But there was a big omission on his part to avoid naming a disabled person as a member of the Board. I come from Naivasha and I have seen how on the great highway many people, including professors, have become disabled as a result of road accidents. Disability is not something that is inherent, but something we acquire very fast, especially through road accidents. I have seen footages on television; a particular case was in Central Province, where children were being chained to trees in the morning, because they were mentally disabled. I have also seen cases where mothers are train children for up to three months on how to use a spoon. All this presents special challenges. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the CDF is such an important component in today's life, the disabled in society should be considered to serve in it. This House is honoured to have some nominated hon. Members. They sit here and help us work. I would really urge that these hon. Members be allocated some CDF funds to deal with issues of the disabled. Each hon. Member could, for example, be allowed to work with the disabled in a province or a certain region. I have no doubt that whoever nominated these hon. Members selected good people. If given the responsibility of distributing money to the disabled, they would do a good job. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of auditing, I do not agree with Mr. Ethuro with respect to this issue. He made the whole matter look so trivial. But if you come from a constituency where about 80 per cent of the CDF funds cannot be accounted for, then you understand the seriousness of this matter. I propose that we have a very strong audit, to the extent that we have a representative from each ward in each constituency. These representatives could work closely with the district auditor to form a special committee. That should be an integral part of the CDF or the CDC. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have a case in Naivasha Constituency where a grader was purchased for Kshs10,500,000, but it cannot be traced anywhere. We would like to be given its engine and chassis numbers, so that we can follow up this matter. In the absence of audit, these details are not available. April 24, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 695 I would like to support the hon. Members who recommend that the allowances of the CDC members should be increased from Kshs2,500 to Kshs5,000. This is because most of these people have to sit in meetings for very long hours. As we have witnessed this afternoon, with due respect to hon. Members, sitting can be tiresome and that is why there was no quorum even when we are discussing such an important Motion on the CDF. That is why the members of the CDC should be paid for their time, and for doing a very important job. Finally, the recommended increment of five per cent for the CDF allocation is a good figure to work with. In simple language, we are saying that for every Kshs100 we pay in form of taxes, the Government should be willing and able to bring back to the people, at least Kshs5. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, again, I want to thank the Minister. But for him to expect us to say that these are men and women who are honourable and balanced, I suggest that in future he should avail to us their CVs early enough, so that we can have an advantage of perusing through them. Then we can congratulate him for a job well done; otherwise, we do not know, other than by name, what kind of professionals they are. We need to know whether they were the very best in their own organisations. We also need to know whether, indeed, they are not relatives of the CEOs in their own organisations. I beg to support."
}