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"id": 210076,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ethuro",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 158,
"legal_name": "Ekwee David Ethuro",
"slug": "ekwee-ethuro"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. While I agree with hon. Members that the Minister, his Assistant Minister, the Permanent Secretary and, indeed, the rest of the staff in the Ministry and parastatals have done a commendable job, there is still a bias against the rural areas. There is still a bias against Turkana District. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I speak with a lot of bitterness. That is because just like Africa lost the decade of the 80s, I think Turkana District and, indeed, the entire North Rift, Upper Eastern and the entire North Eastern Province are going to be left out again, just like any other administration that has been witnessed in this particular country. We have legitimate claims 3078 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 8, 2007 to this Government. We have legitimate claims to the citizenry of the Republic. We are bona fide Kenyans! We think that, if the arid and semi-arid areas of the Republic have to develop, this particular Ministry should play a very critical role in that business. Turkwell Gorge Dam generates a lot of power. But it is taken about 220 kilometres away to join the national grid at Lessos. The neighbouring districts of West Pokot and Turkana are not supplied with power. The Minister dares to come to this House to tell us that there is something he calls \"Kenya Energy Sector Environment and Social Responsibility Programme\". Let them leave it at the \"Kenya Energy Sector and Environment\" and delete the words \"Social Responsibility Programme\". That is because it does not exist. If any social responsibility programme existed, then this Ministry should have ensured that Kainuk, Lodwar, Sigor and the entire Pokot and Turkana districts, which are neighbouring production sites, received electricity ages ago. I am sure you are surprised because I speak from the Government side. But electricity, just like water, is life. In this modern age, you need to charge your mobile phones for them to work. You also need electricity to access the internet. When there is no electricity, do you really expect us to catch up and be part of the development tempo in this country? That is my problem! That is why Kenya is considered as the most unequal country after South Africa. We are still concentrating on those areas where we expect the so-called \"higher returns\", which are imaginary. There are \"higher returns\" because we made the initial investment in those areas. But areas where there is real potential for growth, that will make tallying returns to the entire Republic, have been left out. Indeed, if given power, it will connect us not only within the country, but actually to our neighbours such as Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda. We are forgetting those areas again. I cannot speak more. This is a completely emotional subject for me. That is because I dread the day when my child will go to secondary school and read about generators and refrigeration, without the benefit of making use of the refrigerator in the house, because there is no power to enable us to own a refrigerator. I dread the time when we will have a few refrigerators in Lodwar Town, because the supply of electricity is so unreliable. KPLC does not even consider to buy generators for Lodwar town. I have already talked to the Minister. I am saying that he should step out of Nyayo House and come to Lodwar to see for himself what it means to live in darkness. He has to come out and make sure that our border points glow so that our neighbours can say, \"Here is Kenya and it is alive.\" The economic growth rate of this country should be seen by our neighbours at the border points; that is, Mandera, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Is that really too much to ask? I am doing my tenth year in Parliament, but I am still grappling with the same issues that I thought that my participation in Government would resolve once and for all. I dare hon. Members in ODM(K) to think that I will cross the Floor! It will even be worse! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is an elaborate programme on solar energy in schools. I am told that they have initiated it in four schools in North Eastern Province. I have set up two brand new secondary schools in Turkana and not a single one of them has been provided with solar power by this Ministry. The schools I have set up include Turkana Girls Secondary School, Moi High School and Kerio Secondary School have no solar power. How do you expect pupils in these schools to appreciate the niceties of electricity? How do you expect them to do experiments in Chemistry and Physics? Despite that, they are expected to sit national examinations with schools from Luo-Nyanza, Mt. Kenya, Mombasa and so on. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think every time you see me speak---"
}