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"id": 217181,
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"speaker_name": "Prof. Oniang'o",
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"legal_name": "Ruth Khasaya Oniang'o",
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"content": "So, when it comes to corruption, I think I take issue with this Government, and we have to do something about it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, something else I expect to happen is, whereas we call the Budget \"pro-poor\", the following day consumer prices are up! The poor buy the same bread, milk and sugar that the rich buy. So, when we are saying: \"Look here, this is a pro-poor Budget\" and the following day consumer prices and transport costs go up, we are not doing a service to the many Kenyans who live below the poverty line. So, as we know, Kenyans are now smart and they can see these things. So, you cannot really cheat them. The Government needs to tell us that, truly, this is a pro-poor Budget and that they are doing service to the Kenyans, many of who are really suffering and who still have to see the gains of a growing economy. I believe it may be growing for some people, but it is not growing sufficiently for many Kenyans and yes, I am willing to give it time, but we should not just go on patting ourselves on the back. Kenyans complain because we expect better things. In fact, I normally say that somebody who does not complain is not a Kenyan. It is for us to complain because we know we can do better and we want a better Kenya. So, the Government should take it in that sense. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, they talked about governance. I have been to Government offices and I want to say this: As somebody who used to trek to Government offices before and now, I see a huge difference! There is a Public Relation (PR) office and desk and this is truly a Government which wants to serve the people. You can change systems and a few individuals will be good, but we still have people who are just terrible public servants; who are bureaucratic and who hold back businesses. When we say we are cutting down the stages of obtaining a licence, it is not the same everywhere. So, we would like the Government, once again, to look into these issues. 2026 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 26, 2007 Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk about the conditions of the police. I am happy the Minister is here. I was brought up by a policeman father and it is a service I value. That is where I got my discipline from. But the police live in deplorable conditions! We can increase their number, but if we do not address the issue of where and how they live, how they are compensated when they are killed in the line of duty or how they get their pension when they retire, it is not fair to expect them to guard us and ensure security for us when, in fact, we do not accord them even decent housing and decent conditions. I would like the Minister, next time, to look into these issues and to come to a very, very personal level of what happens to the police even as we see them out there. When they are miserable and living in deplorable conditions, we cannot really ensure that they are going to guard us properly. I want to talk about the issue of housing. I know the Minister is trying so hard to do something about mortgage and taxation. But when you go to America, mortgage interest rates are about 5 per cent. When it is 5 per cent, it is actually very, very high, because the Government made it possible and took it very seriously that each and every one of their citizens should aim at owning a house. But here, the cost of concrete--- Mr. Speaker, Sir, you know, we use concrete, cement and building material prices go up and many Kenyans cannot afford to own a house. I hope that this is an issue which can be looked into. We should also look at the prospect of making construction materials cheaper so that Kenyans can actually own houses, because everybody hopes to own a house in their lifetime. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other area I want to talk about is transport and transport costs. This should be a highly subsidized item. Again, those of us who travel, if you go to New York, you wonder who had a vision to build the underground train. Right now, I do not know how people in New York would be moving around if they did not have the underground train, which is really so affordable. This country is growing in population, the city is bursting with human beings. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you see Kenyans leaving their homes at 4.00 a.m. in the morning, when it is not even safe, and walking for a whole hour to Industrial Area to look for casual labour. This area of public transport should be heavily subsidized. That way, we can call it a pro-poor Budget. So, we want to give this Government a chance to continue to address these issues. I do not know whether they will come back. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when it comes to the issue of plastics, I am told that if you go to Rwanda, once you reach the border, they check your car. If you are carrying plastics, you leave them at the border as you go into Rwanda because they have banned plastics. So, let us be bold; ban plastics and cigarette smoking. We are a country where people come to enjoy whatever they want. Kenya is a country which is ready to take off and be a \"Singapore\" of Africa. I believe it is possible for us to do that. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we should also hold the private sector to account, not just in terms of corporate-social responsibility, but in terms of off-loading some of the work that the Government does currently, such as road construction. When we went to a pre-Budget meeting seminar, I was shocked that about 50 per cent of money allocated to roads goes back to the Treasury, yet we do not even have enough tarmacked roads. We have all these corrupt road contractors, I do not know who else is corrupt, and our roads are still deplorable. I know that we have enough money to give us more tarmac roads, and once you give people good roads, you leave it to them and the economy can now begin to grow. As we talk about the Budget, for many Kenyans it is a ritual. But we hope that, right now--- The previous speaker, who is a Minister; hon. Michuki, said that this is the best Budget since Independence. I do not know whether it is. Yes, it was a good Budget, but we want to make sure that, truly, for the first time, we can get a pro-poor Budget. When we have a pro-poor Budget, we know--- With these few remarks, I beg to support. June 26, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2027"
}