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{
"id": 197990,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/197990/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kathuri",
"speaker_title": "The Member for Manyatta",
"speaker": {
"id": 38,
"legal_name": "Emilio Mureithi Kathuri",
"slug": "emilio-kathuri"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me to support this Motion. I also wish to thank the people of Manyatta for electing me to serve and represent them in this House. My names are Mr. Emilio Kathuri from Manyatta Constituency. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to support this Motion, but I have some comments to make. When I look at the President's Speech, I realise that there is the Ethnic Relations and Commissions Bill that is supposed to be presented to this House. I think we have a duty, as Parliamentarians, to ensure that when that Bill is brought, we should come up with strategies that will definitely make our country steer clear of tribalism. I believe that one of the ways is even to drop some of our names, which when you look at them, you automatically know which region of Kenya the specific person comes from. That is an issue which must be given the necessary attention, so that we can steer clear of tribalism. I do not see why I cannot use my baptismal name. If it is made law, it will become very easy for one not to be seen to belong to a specific region. In many hotels we address the waiters by only one name. It becomes very difficult for one to identify such a person as a Muembu, Mumeru, Kikuyu or a Luo. I believe that is the direction that this House should take so that, at least, we can rid this country of tribalism. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of roads and highways, the Presidential Address did not address the real problem. The reason our roads develop potholes within a very short time after construction has a lot to do with the issue of corruption. Our weighbridges are manned by officers who at the end of the day do not serve the interests of the nation; they serve March 12, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 129 their own interests. Even if we constructed ten roads in a year, we would still find that five of those roads would within one year need repairs. We must address this issue, so that we know how we will resolve this problem once and for all. There is no way we can penalise a transporter while ignoring the company that hired the truck, yet, for example, the transporters know that the goods they are supposed to transport from Mombasa to Nairobi weigh 50 tonnes and they use one truck. So, they are aware that they are contravening some of the rules of this country. While addressing that issue, we should also factor in how we are going to deal with some of those issues. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on issues of health, His Excellency the President talked of health care financing. It is true that we cannot talk of a wealthy nation if we do not have a healthy nation. We cannot talk of health if we are also going to forget some of those who may be suffering from ill health arising from accidents. Some of their family members are unable to attend to other productive activities because they are financing bills in hospitals, which were occasioned by accidents. We have the proposed Accident Compensation Bill, which has been pending in this House for many years. I believe it is high time we addressed this issue, so that when that Bill is put in place, it will address some of those issues. The family members who are afflicted - we say that if they are not infected they are affected - will be able to address some of those issues in a better way if that Bill is put in place. A compensation mechanism would make those family members use their resources for other productive purposes. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are many other issues which I would have wanted to comment on, but I wish to stop there. Thank you."
}