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"id": 217236,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217236/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Mwanzia",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 268,
"legal_name": "Daudi Fredrick Mwanzia",
"slug": "daudi-mwanzia"
},
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Lesrima and Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I was on the Rural Electrification Programme. I am saying that there is a lot of money lying idle with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company. The company has not implemented the project they have collected money from the people for. We are requesting that the Government, and especially the Ministry of Energy, to push the Kenya Power and Lighting Company, so that we can get connected to electricity. Especially, in my constituency, there are over 25 Customer Creation Projects; we have paid money through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). People have paid money but they have not been connected to electricity. I appreciate the expansion of the Rural Electrification Programme and provision of electricity by the Government. However, I am concerned that the Government is connecting so many people to electricity without increasing the level of production of electricity. In future, we may have shortage of electricity, because we tend to be relying too much on hydro-electricity. I appreciate that the Government has tried to diversify to thermal electricity production. I also commend the Government for encouraging more private investors. I foresee a situation in future where we may have a problem of electricity, because of high consumption of the commodity. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, another thing I want to talk about is water. The Minister has allocated a lot of money for water. However, if you look at the way this money has been allocated, you will realise that it is very inequitable. There are semi-arid areas like Eastern Province, parts of Coast Province and the North Eastern Province, which have been allocated very little money for water development. There are two ways of getting water. There might be sinking of boreholes. I commend the Government for having put a lot of effort in sinking boreholes. However, many of the boreholes that have been sunk are yielding very little water, which cannot be used for any meaningful purposes. The Government has sunk so many boreholes in my area. However, very many boreholes have been sunk in the South-Eastern part of Eastern Province, which are yielding very little. A lot of money has been wasted. We are asking the Government to divert most of this money to dam construction, which can hold more water, which can be used for food production through irrigation. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are having a lot of problems with the utilisation of the Local 2042 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 26, 2007 Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF). I would request the Government to monitor these funds. The funds are not trickling down to the people they are meant to assist. If you go to local authorities, you will see nothing that they have done with these funds. If this money could be incorporated into the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), it would be better utilised than where it is now. I also want to talk about the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). The NSE has been like an animal which has been talked about here and there. We need to encourage the NSE to grow. We need to encourage people to invest in the NSE, so that money can be released to the market for capital development, and so that people can borrow and finance our internal industries through local accumulation of funds. I think this is a good thing, which we should do. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, another thing I would like to say and commend the Government is on the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Women Enterprise Development Fund. These are very good funds which have been started by the Government. We have learnt from the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, that the method which was used for distribution of this fund leaves a lot to be desired, especially in my constituency. We did not know how this money was distributed because we were not involved. We also did not know the groups which were selected, and it has brought a lot of problems, especially with politicians and their administrators. I would like to urge the Government to involve politicians in the implementation of the youth programme. We know who they are and we know those who need the money most. Even with regard to women groups, politicians should be involved in the identification of which among the groups is doing very good work economically, to empower themselves. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have read in the Speech the Minister saying that these programmes are supposed to empower the youth and women. I am now wondering why there is discrimination. Why can the Government also not start a fund for men so that men can also be empowered? There are so many men who have no capital and who are in the rural areas. They also need to be empowered so that they can get funds for development. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}