HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 205414,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/205414/?format=api",
"text_counter": 140,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Syongo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 316,
"legal_name": "Zaddock Madiri Syong'oh",
"slug": "zaddock-syongoh"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me a chance to contribute to this debate in support of the Motion. In our country, we are, of course, lucky because we have the capacity to enjoy all the various forms of transport; air, road, rail and marine transport. However, the thing which this House should, really, worry about and communicate to the Ministry is inadequate development 3702 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES September 5, 2007 funding of our transportation facilities. Whichever way you look at it, the budget of this Ministry is dismal. It is totally inadequate, yet we are priding ourselves that we are a growing economy. Without investing in transport facilities, we cannot expand the economy because, apart from the services sector, we need transport to carry goods from point A to point B. This is so for both domestic and export marketing of our various merchandise and produce. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, looking at, for example, our air transportation system we, of course, have a national airline. However, even in terms of passenger services by Kenya Airways, we must express our concern that the service standards are, obviously, declining. For the last two weeks, Kenya Airways has not been able to comply with its timetable, even for scheduled flights. There have been long periods of waiting at the airports. Last weekend, the situation was chaotic at the JKIA. Some of the things which were being said about us, as a nation as well as our airline, by foreign tourists, who were arriving, and who were supposed to have been transmitting to elsewhere, were, really, terrible. We can no longer talk of Kenya Airways being the \"pride of Africa\". In fact, last weekend, it was the shame of Africa. That is something the Ministry must pay attention to. This is because even as we privatise, the Ministry must retain and exercise its oversight responsibility over all the State corporations working under its ambit. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it has been said before that we have not expanded our railway network. We also have wonderful news that, in fact, we have discovered huge quantities of limestone in Kitui. Two nights ago, the television was showing how a cement factory - I think it was Bamburi Cement Factory - has already moved heavy equipment to Kitui to start experimental drilling of limestone. If we are going to transport this bulky commodity from the mining site in Kitui to the processing units in Athi River and Mombasa, we will definitely need an efficient and cost-effective means of transport. There cannot be any substitute to railway transportation. However, in this document there is no provision whatsoever, under the Development Estimates, for the expansion of the railway line and yet there is every opportunity for us given the amount of money Kenyan taxpayers are paying. We have an opportunity for leveraging by borrowing substantially so that we can actually expand and modernise our railway transport system. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the safety in the maritime sector is worrying. First of all, if you look at the inland lakes, even though we have only a 6 per cent share of Lake Victoria, as I talk to you now, there are nearly 4,000 vessels on the Kenyan side of the lake engaged in passenger transportation as well as commercial fishing and yet we have no unit on Lake Victoria, 80 per cent of which is in Suba District, which can make an emergency response. So, if there is any accident there, we have no capacity--- Even our police who are in that area do not have a single vehicle for search-and-rescue operations. Even after we passed the Kenya Maritime Agencies Bill, no action has been taken in order to establish these institutions which are so critical in ensuring navigational safety in our lakes. The same applies even to the Indian Ocean. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the question of air pollution, especially in the urban centres, should be a worry to everybody. Not only does polluted air contribute to drivers getting fatigued, and can cause accidents, but it also interferes with visibility especially at night. The heavy carbon emission from exhaust systems of vehicles that use poor quality diesel, and unserviced vehicles, is a major worry. This is not only from a medical point of view, but also in terms of road safety. All the countries around us have a very simple rule even if you do not have money to buy the right gadget. It is the \"visible-by-the-naked-eye\" rule. Any sensible nation today, given the health dangers of carbon emission, which is now an issue in agricultural exports because of the carbon emission factor in fresh produce, unless we deal with heavy air pollution in this country, we are not only endangering our lives, but actually also endangering our export business, especially fresh produce. I, therefore, would like to urge the Minister to really deal with this issue because it is a very September 5, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3703 serious one. Let us apply the \"visible-by-naked-eye\" rule so that any vehicle emitting smoke which can be seen by the naked eye should automatically be moved out of the road. I know that as soon as that rule is in force, vehicle owners will be servicing their vehicles more regularly so that there is less pollution in our cities and main highways. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, even after the disastrous accidents we have had including that one that resulted in the death of our colleagues of the Ninth Parliament, the condition of various airstrips in this country is still terrible. This includes a major airport in Kisumu. We are courting disaster! With expansion in investment in the aviation industry, which is taking place, we need the Government to have corresponding investment in modernisation of our airstrips. The tourist arrivals have increased and many of them are diversifying their destinations, that is, from the Coast Province to upcountry destinations. Now, with the chaotic road situation and a very poor road infrastructure, air transportation is definitely a preferred choice of transport, especially between distant points in our country. So, we need to modernise our airstrips. We also need to have a proper management agency because I am afraid that--- The truth is that the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) deals largely only with the Moi International Airport in Mombasa and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). They hardly have any time for other airstrips and airports. The Meteorological Department is so important to us not only for navigational reasons, but also for agricultural production. However, if you look at the daily weather reports, that department only covers sections of this country. Why can they not report on the weather conditions in Turkana? Why are they not doing so in Kajiado or in the Mara and yet we know that many farmers have invested heavily in commercial production of wheat and other products in Narok area? We hardly get weather reports from those areas. Even the fisheries sector which relies on the safety in our lakes as well as the farmers in that entire region, there is hardly any data being collected from that area and being disseminated to guide farmers and those who use the various navigational means. I would like to conclude by saying that if really we want to be a trading nation, we need to think seriously about a national shipping line. I know that we used to have Kenya National Shipping Line. What happened to it? We hardly ever hear about it. What happened? Should we not upgrade or expand it and even look for a partnership like Kenya Airways did with KLM? We should be thinking about partnerships so that we can expand our capacity to carry passengers, but especially cargo if we really intend to be a great trading nation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}