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{
"id": 217339,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217339/?format=api",
"text_counter": 98,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Githae",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Transport",
"speaker": {
"id": 159,
"legal_name": "Robinson Njeru Githae",
"slug": "robinson-githae"
},
"content": "Kibaki took over leadership in 2002. One of the things that we must say loudly is the introduction of the CDF. With this Fund we have been able to do things that Kenyans could only have dreamt about. Using CDF we have put up a day secondary school in every primary school in my constituency. This was a dream from 1963, but we have only been able to achieve it this year. So, I must commend the Government. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must also further commend the Government for declaring that starting from next year tuition fees will be waived for all students in secondary schools. Again, this has been a dream that started in 1963, but it has been achieved now. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must also commend Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for the way in which they are collecting taxes. For the first time, Kenyans are queuing to June 20, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1911 pay their taxes. For the first time, Kenyans are paying their arrears on taxes. So, we must commend the Commissioner General of KRA; Mr. Michael Waweru and his team for a job well done. Their collection has enabled the Government to finance 93 per cent of the Budget from local resources. As a result of this, the donor critic has disappeared. The donors are no longer giving conditions and conditionalities. In fact, it is now the Government that gives conditions. It says: \"We will accept your money only if it is given to this particular sector\". Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must also commend the KRA. If you look at the collection of taxes, it took the founding father of this nation; Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, more than 15 years to achieve tax collection of Kshs100 billion. It took the second President; retired President Daniel Moi, 24 years to achieve a collection of Kshs150 billion in taxes. However, it has taken President Kibaki only four years to triple collection of taxes from Kshs150 billion to more than Kshs450 billion. We must say the President must be doing something right. Otherwise, where was this money before? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think we can also say that this is the money that was leaking away through corruption. To that extent, we can say the loopholes, through which monies used to leak, have been sealed. Although not completely sealed, they have been sealed to a large extent. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must also commend the Government for increasing the budget for the Ministry of Roads and Public Works. If there is one thing that was shameful about this country, it is the condition of our roads. You find that even countries that have been involved in civil wars have better roads than Kenya. People say the economy of Zimbabwe has gone down, but if you go to Zimbabwe, their roads are in a very good state. If you go to Iraq, the condition of the roads there is good. However, what we have in Kenya are more of cattle tracks and not roads. Therefore, there is great hope that with the increased Budget of the Ministry of Roads and Public Works, they will be able to repair some of these roads. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is one road in my constituency which was abandoned more than 15 years ago. I am happy that some money has been provided in this year's Budget to repair that road. I am talking about the Kagio-Baricho-Kerugoya Road and the Kagio- Baricho-Kibirigwi Road. So, we must commend the Government for doing that. This road was abandoned more than 15 years ago and it is only now that something is being done. So, we are thankful. On behalf of the people of Ndia, I would like to say that we are thankful to the Government for having allocated funds to this road. It is very dear to us. It is the only road which we can say is tarmacked and which belongs to Ndia Constituency. The other roads just happen to pass through Ndia. They are not Ndia roads. If you take the example of the Sagana-Nyeri Road, it only happens that if you want to go to Nyeri, then you must pass through Ndia. So, that is not our road. If you take the other road from Sagana to Embu, it only happens that you have to pass through Ndia as you go to Embu. So, that is also not our road. But this road, it is the only one we can say, \"This is our own road.\" Therefore, we can say that for the first time, we will have a tarmacked road in Ndia, which really belongs to Ndia."
}