HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 210084,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/210084/?format=api",
"text_counter": 160,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Billow",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 260,
"legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
"slug": "billow-kerrow"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a very important Ministry. First, I want to sympathise with the Secretary to the Pastoralists Parliamentary Group, who, unfortunately, although he produces most of the power, does not get any of it. I am sure the Minister has taken 3080 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 8, 2007 note of that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this is a very important sector. If you look at the Development Vote of this Ministry, in spite of the fact that there is no country that can develop without adequate energy resources, the total amount of money allocated to this Ministry does not even represent 10 per cent. In fact, out of that 10 per cent, only a small portion is dedicated to investment in the development of power. If you look at what has been allocated to geothermal power, it is only Kshs2.8 billion. I have not seen anything else that has been allocated to actual development of energy and yet we said that there is no way we can develop this nation. In fact, if you look at what is happening globally, the economic war today is about energy. This is what the West, China and other countries are fighting about. It is all about energy. There is no country that can industrialise or bring about industrial revolution without energy. If you look at the current conflict between the USA and Iran on nuclear power, it is all centred on energy. Iran believes that there is no way it can revolutionize the development of its industries without nuclear power. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is no way we will talk about hydro-electric power forever. I think it is time this country invested more in other sources of power. I appreciate the little money that is being invested in the generation of geothermal power. It is a very important resource. However, we need to look at the next 40 to 50 years. This country cannot afford to spend only Kshs2.8 billion in the investment of development of future energy in this country, when, indeed, that money is being spent out of a larger sum of Kshs700 billion. This is clearly a case where we do not have our priorities right. We talk about, for example, allocating Kshs1 billion to the Ministry of Education in order to reduce what they call the \"digital divide\" in order to provide ICT in schools. We are talking about ICT in schools when, as hon. Members said, over 80 per cent of our rural communities do not have access to electricity. The total amount of money allocated to development of electricity in the rural areas, through the REP, is Kshs4 billion. I think this is really a joke. We need to put in more money because there is no way we can develop those rural areas. I am not saying this out of any reason except the fact that I come from a rural area and I know how important it is to have electricity. We are unable to develop those areas because of lack of electricity. The major town where I come from is called Elwak. I want to thank the Minister because, for the first time in 40 years, they have considered Elwak as one of the areas that will receive electricity. In fact, the power is being connected now. However, according to the Commissioner of Mines, Elwak sits on the world's largest deposit of gypsum. They say it is over two billion tonnes. But for the last many years, we are unable to exploit it. It is a pity that, in many parts of this country, there are opportunities, but we are unable to exploit them because of lack of electricity. It is important for the Government to appreciate that there is no way we can have a vision even in 20100 unless we invest in a very important sector like this one. This is the one on which the world is fighting economically today. The next World War is going t o be fought over energy. It is not going to be fought for land. I think it is important we appreciate that in long-term. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to come to another important area for source of energy. I think solar energy is another source of energy in addition to geothermal power that needs to be developed in this country. If you go through these Estimates Books, there is no reference in any investment being made to the development of solar energy. I come from the areas that the speaker who has just contributed was talking about; Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). The main source of energy is the sun. From this, we can produce solar energy. I think it is an important area and that, with modern technology we can actually invest more in the sector. I think it is important that we start making provisions for that. We do not have to use diesel engines in some of those isolated stations. August 8, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3081 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other thing that is surprising is when you come to petroleum. This is a matter that has been raised by all the previous speakers. I am one of those who believe that there is no way we can achieve the Millennium Development Goals, or anything near, including fighting simple thing like hunger, unless we develop our capacity to be self-reliant in petroleum. I have a feeling that there is petroleum in this country. However, for one reason or another, the companies we rely on to explore and develop are not doing what they ought to do. Of course, the Ministry does not seem to allocate much money to it. I have seen only Kshs299 million for exploration of petroleum. Probably, it is because it is the companies that have to invest. However, when I was a child, in the 1960s, it was announced in the media that petroleum had been discovered in Mandera District. Those newspapers are available in the archives. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, two years ago, the NOCK Managing Director announced what they called the Mandera Block. They said there is oil. Subsequently, when we made inquiries, we were informed that a Chinese company had been given the concession to start exploring it then, suddenly the story disappeared. We get these things every few years; an announcement that something is there and then it disappears. This gives me the feeling that, perhaps, those companies we are engaging could be playing some politics. This is a political industry. There is no country that wants it to develop because it is going to affect the international market and so forth. I think it is important that we invest in this area. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, recently, there was shortage of fuel in this country. I think the Ministry announced that there is a problem of capacity. It is important that this Government invests more resources in energy. When we have a fuel shortage, it affects all the other sectors of the economy. People cannot run their machines and industries because of lack of fuel. It is important that, in future, the Government allocates more money, especially in the context of what the Government is talking about; the Vision 2030. We cannot talk about the Vision 2030 when we are allocating Kshs19 billion, out of Kshs700 billion. We need to invest more, so that we develop the capacities of Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), the Kenya Oil Refineries and talk about affordability and availability of fuel. I think it is worth investing more money in these sectors than others if we are talking of change. We want to mechanise our systems of agriculture. We want to develop our rural areas. We want to industrialise. There is no way we can do that without this. My main concern has been on the amount of allocations. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, another thing that I want to raise on the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) was raised a short while ago by some of the speakers. I was not in the previous regime, but from what I understand, there is tremendous difference in terms of what is happening now and what was happening before. I think, from the number of projects that are being implemented, including the areas in the North Eastern Province like Elwak which I mentioned earlier, it is remarkable. It is appropriate to congratulate the Ministry for moving into those areas that hitherto had been left out. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I understand that part of the problem in the delays that have occurred in the completion of these projects has to do with capacity, particularly with regard to procurement. My understanding is that these problems fall squarely on the shoulders of the management; the Wazungu management which I understand was hired by the Government. This is one of the problems when you depend entirely on donors. I understand that those Wazungus came in through a World Bank requirement. Part of the problem in not getting things moving in the KPC and KPLC; I understand it is these people. There is no reason why this country should continue to remain in the dark simply because we have to honour a deal made with the World Bank on some consultants. I think the Minister will not go wrong if he goes ahead and gets Kenyans to run that company. I think things will move much better. 3082 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 8, 2007"
}