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"id": 201911,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/201911/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Sungu",
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"speaker": {
"id": 324,
"legal_name": "Gor Eric Sungu",
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, as we appropriate that money, we must also ask about security. As we go into the electioneering period, we have just discussed that momentous issue! You know about the insecurity caused by electioneering. We hope that Government officers who are in the field will be fair. That is because they are paid by the Government through the taxpayers' money. We hope that they will do their work properly and that they will not side with the Government of the day. The tendency is, usually, for the incumbent Government to misuse security officials when it comes to the electioneering period. I hope that, that will be discouraged. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when I was a young man, I worked for Kenya Airways. I used to go home and give some of my money to my mother to keep. My mother always squandered half of the money, gave me only a little bit and say: \"Please, use this money carefully. It is difficult to get money\". Therefore, when we are giving the Minister the money, he must make sure that he puts his ears on the ground. That money was not got easily by the wananchi of this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, a lot of money is allocated to the Ministry of Finance. But, still, there are delays in procurement and tendering. For example, the Kisumu Airport Project is funded by the World Bank! That airport is now dangerous because aircraft cannot land there properly. That has been caused by the haphazard repairs that have been carried out on the runway. That airport was supposed to have been repaired two years ago. The Government has been meeting with the stakeholders. We have held meetings with the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and the local people. All the issues regarding that airport have been sorted out. But none of that has started. No work has started and yet, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is now being repaired. They are constructing a new part of the airport. I think that is discrimination and, as a Member of Parliament for Kisumu East Constituency, I must draw the Government's attention to the fact that, as you appropriate that money, you must apply it even-handedly so that all the areas of this country are taken into consideration. Mr. Speaker, Sir, even on the question of roads, we know for certain that there are delays in issuing monies for roads in the western part of this country! It is virtually impossible to drive to Kisumu, Eldoret, Kakamega or even to Narok, because of delays in tendering. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when it comes to tendering, may I say - and this is very, very important - that there ought to be open tendering, particularly in security-related departments. We have known of cases where a lot of money has been lost by this Government, because of the so-called obsession with secrecy when it comes to security tendering. The case of the civilian Spanish ship which was converted to military use and bought at an exorbitant price is still fresh in our minds! The Nexus October 2, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 4257 Project in Karen is still fresh in our minds. There was the question of \"terrorist-proof\" passports. Some of those cases are referred to as Anglo Leasing. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as we give money, the military is getting a lot of money out of this Vote. We want to say that the military should not be sitting idle because we do not have present immediate threats to security that require their attention. They should be used in civilian projects! For example, with regard to the flooding in Budalangi, right next door to the Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs, the military should be there to help in the construction of dykes and evacuation of our people. That way, they can be gainfully employed. Most of them are sitting idle there as we pay them a lot of money, while the police and other uniformed forces are busy day in, day out, being shot at as they face criminals and so on. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the military can be used to dig boreholes in dry areas like Ukambani and even DolDol. They have got the equipment! That equipment is lying idle! Even in Kisumu and Busia, we could use them to help us. Even the maintenance of remote airstrips--- Those airstrips could be of military use if there was need. For example, the Busia Airstrip, which caused a very serious accident because of its condition, where several of us were injured and some were killed--- The military could be used to repair such facilities, instead of waiting for us. They have got the equipment! Beside the equipment and obvious occupation, they will also gain experience. That experience is very necessary when it comes to war situations. Mr. Speaker, Sir, again, as we appropriate, I want to talk about agriculture. I want to \"cry\" that, as this Government has waived billions of shillings for the coffee and tea sub-sectors, it has failed to do the same for the sugar sector. That is not right! As we speak now--- In fact, right next to my home, Miwani Sugar Factory is still lying idle when it has got the most modern refinery to produce refined sugar. It could save us foreign currency because we actually import refined sugar. The Government could do a lot instead of just looking at one sector only. It should look at other sectors, like the sugar sector. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are very many issues when it comes to money. I cannot, probably, raise all of them. This Government has been on record as saying that there has been some economic recovery and that there has been a huge economic growth. But we will never fail to remind them that, as they talk about those huge percentages of growth rate, the gap between the rich and the poor is still increasing. The poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. The people who are rich are only a few compared to the many poor people. That is actually a time- bomb because, one day, it could cause insecurity of unmanageable proportions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}