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"id": 205698,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/205698/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Muiruri",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Agriculture",
"speaker": {
"id": 238,
"legal_name": "Patrick Kariuki Muiruri",
"slug": "patrick-muiruri"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I was saying that, that man should be arrested and remanded in a cell for a long time, because he will have been charged with murder before the charge is later on reduced to manslaughter. That man may stay in remand for more than three years before the case comes up for hearing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what happens when a drunk matatu driver or bus driver carelessly kills about 30 people, as it happened recently in Kisii? There is a lot of injustice in this in the sense that the man who was remanded killed one person in a bar while both of them were drunk. The two persons could have been friends. However, the matatu driver, who was carrying 30-40 passengers, drove carelessly, under the influence of alcohol, and killed 30-40 people, and he almost got away with it! So, Kenyans are now asking what the Minister for Transport is doing. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when Mr. Michuki introduced the rules governing the operations of public service vehicles (PSVs), Dr. Murung'aru was the Minister in charge of administration and national security. I would like to thank hon. Dr. Murung'aru for the good job that he did then. He is the one who enforced the rules that were introduced by hon. Michuki. However, Kenyans are now wondering what is happening to the Minister for Transport and the Minister of State for Administration and National Security. Is there a problem with the two of them? This is because there is, truly, a problem. Kenyans are dying and we need to know what is happening. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me turn to railway transport. All over the world, even in the advanced countries, one of the major important means of transport is the railway. But what happened to our railway transport system? About 20 to 25 years ago, we used to travel by train. It was the most comfortable and accepted method of travelling. Other Kenyans and I would board a train from the Nairobi Railway Station at 7 p.m. By the time the train arrived in Athi River, the bell would be rung to indicate that dinner was ready. The train had a couch and by the time it arrived in Mombasa, one would still be fresh to go and do his or her business. The situation was good until that time there was a train accident at a place called Ngai Ndethya, where 96 people died. That accident sounded a death knell of the Kenya Railways' passenger train system because from there on, Kenyans got afraid of travelling by train. Those days, there used to be a small thing that would travel along the railway line to ensure that it was safe. That was done away with and people no longer trust travelling by train because they think it is not safe. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, it is important that the railway system be reinstated, especially to save our roads. When the Queen of England came to Kenya a number of years back, she travelled by train from Nairobi to Thika. It was still safe then. So, it is important that the Minister for Transport does all that it takes to ensure that our railway system is back and safe. It will go a long way in saving us millions and millions of shillings that we spend on the road. I travel almost every day from Thika to Nairobi. There is a railway line all the way, but rarely do I see a train use that railway line. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to the Kenya Airways, it has done very well. I would like to join all those hon. Members who have commended Mr. Naikuni and his staff for a job well done. But of late, as you go to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), you will see a lot of traffic. As you walk towards the gate you meet a lot of people sleeping along the corridors. This is not right. It does not augur well for our airports although I must admit that our airports are the best compared to others in Africa. They are doing a good job. I would also like to thank Mr. Chris Kuto, who is in charge of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, for a job very well done. At the same time, even as I commend the two of them, it is 3720 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES September 5, 2007 important to note that we have had two major accidents involving our national airline. In fact, one of the pilots who was piloting the plane that crashed came from my constituency and, up to now, the family is still waiting to know exactly what happened, including myself. Of late, the Kenya Airways management is facing some challenges. During the last Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show held in Mombasa, there was a lot of congestion. I had to go to the airport three or four times just for me to get a booking to come back to Nairobi. That is not right in the sense that they should be able to plan well in advance such that if there is an ASK Show in Mombasa, they ensure that there are enough aircraft so that passengers are not inconvenienced. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}