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"id": 217634,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217634/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kibuguchy",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Health",
"speaker": {
"id": 294,
"legal_name": "Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
"slug": "enoch-kibunguchy"
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"content": " Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute on the Budget Speech. I would like to start off by congratulating the Minister for an excellent Budget speech. It was delivered in a very eloquent way, spiced occasionally, with humour. One thing that really caught me are the words of the young man who was quoted in the speech. That is Master Trevor Langat. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me repeat just a sentence of what he said. \"I think it is time for me to take action and it is also time for all Kenyans to take action.\" I take that as a challenge that all Kenyans should embrace. Secondly, I would like to commend the Government for the achievements, so far, realised in areas of education and economy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to enumerate the centres and schools in my constituency that have benefitted from the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) in the last couple of years. They are: Mwamba Market, Bishop Sulumeti Girls Secondary School, Lunyita Secondary School, Manyonyi Market, Malakusi Dispensary, Makutano Market, Mautuma Sub- District Hospital, St. Peter's Secondary School, Machine Market, Kona Mbaya Market, St. Anne Secondary School, Matunda Health Centre, Kongoni Market, Kongoni Health Centre, Kongoni Secondary School; Ibukwi Secondary School; Matundu Market; Seregea Market; and Seregea Secondary School. I say this because I would like to commend the Government, on behalf of my people of Lugari Constituency, for the work that has been done in the last few years as far as the REP is concerned. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as the people of Lugari, we are also glad that in the Printed Estimates, we could see the inclusion of a road that passes through my constituency, Road C44, which we have cried year in, year out for it to be tarmacked. It is probably the only Class C road in the country that has not been tarmacked. However, I am glad to report that, at least, some little money was put in the estimates for the tarmacking of that road in the coming financial year. I would like to thank the Minister very much for that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like, again, on behalf of my people of Lugari Constituency, to say that since the inception of the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) programme, we have had a number of facilities and schools coming up in Lugari Constituency. I would like, for the purpose of record, to mention the following: One, we have managed to construct 320 primary school classrooms; 32 secondary school classrooms, nine new day secondary schools, nine dispensaries, two health centres, six dining hall projects, six laboratory 1956 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 20, 2007 projects, and three administration block projects for a number of our secondary schools. Two, we have also constructed 22 bridges and crossings, graded several kilometres of road, prepared and rehabilitated 43 cattle dips that are now operational. We have protected 19 water springs and allocated a total of Kshs12 million as bursary to our needy students in secondary schools, colleges and universities. I am mentioning all these things for record and to just show that so far, for us in Lugari Constituency, we are glad for the little that we have received. Now, I would like to turn my attention to a number of issues. The first one is education. It was gratifying to note that the Government is going to employ an extra 11,000 teachers. In a Motion that we debated in this House long time ago, it was realised that the shortfall of teachers that we have in this country is 56,000. So, 11,000 more teachers is, probably, not going to meet the needs. I can just imagine that with the waiver of tuition fee by the Government, we are going to have very many of our children joining our secondary schools. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, secondly on education, I would have loved to see the Government take a bold step of not only subsidising tuition fees payment, but at the very least, absolve the school fees for the students going to day secondary schools. That would have relieved the parents immensely. But just tuition fees, there are too many other levies for our students and I think they will still find it difficult to manage. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on agriculture, and I am going to spend time to talk about cereals because that is what is grown in Lugari. We have complained time and again that the price of farm inputs is by far too high. I know that the Minister for Agriculture has many times said that he is going to find a way of reducing the price of fertiliser, but the price of farm inputs is by far too high. Our peasant farmers are not reaping any fruits from their labour. Time has come for us to lower the price of farm inputs. When we talk about cereals, I would like to see the Minister go back to opening centres for buying maize in our markets. I would like to say this, again, on record, if I was the Minister for Agriculture, I would introduce price controls in our food products. This is because our farmers are being fleeced left, right and centre by the middlemen. I think that it is time, if the Government really cares for its people, especially the small-scale farmers, to introduce price controls. On health, we were disappointed as people from the Ministry of Health that, again, the money that was set aside for the Ministry of Health is nowhere near the 15 per cent that all African Heads of States passed in Abuja that should be set aside to go to the health sector. The amount of money that we are getting in the health sector is much less. We must be able to employ more workers. We answer Questions in this Parliament day in, day out about the shortage of health workers. Our estimated shortfall of health workers is a minimum of 10,000. With the amount of money that we have received, I do not think we shall be able to employ those health workers. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to say one or two other things. One, we should be able to nurture sports, and especially athletics in this country. Knowing very well that there is no point in re-inventing the wheel, we can use the programmes that have worked. I would like to see the Minister for Sports, Gender, Culture and Social Services making it possible for every constituency in this country to have, at least, one stadium. That will encourage our young men and women to take up sports. We can see from other countries that we can even export our sports talent outside there. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in conclusion, I would like to tell the Minister that time has come for him to consider increasing the money allocated to the CDF to, at least, 5 per cent. Secondly, I think the Government should by now have realised that the Youth Enterprise Development Fund--- Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know I had a lot to speak, but I beg to support. June 20, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1957"
}