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"id": 217882,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/217882/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ms. Karua",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 166,
"legal_name": "Martha Wangari Karua",
"slug": "martha-karua"
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"content": " I rise in support of the Motion and I want to say this: For those who are lamenting that the Government is spending too much, it is important that we understand what Government spending entails. We should remember that there has been salary increase for civil servants, the Police Force and for all cadres, including this Parliament. Which spending do you want deleted? Is it Parliamentary salary? Is it Civil Service salary? Do you want a reduction on the Budget on security? When you talk of Government spending, you should understand that it is the very thing that you, yourself is utilising. Therefore, when you contribute, if you do not indicate whether you want less paid to those working in the health, education, water or even security sectors, then you better accept that the spending by Government is necessary. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this was a pro-poor Budget and the policies are laudable. I want to congratulate the Minister for Finance. You will notice that personal tax was not increased and for a Government to expand revenue collection without increasing personal tax, then it shows that we are winning on issues of governance and the war against graft. It means that holes, where previously money was disappearing, are finally being plugged in. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we talk about the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), sometimes, we Members of Parliament, talk as though it is money from Heaven or somewhere else. We talk as though this is not revenue from the Exchequer. When you laud the CDF and the work it is doing in your constituency, you are lauding Government efforts. CDF is a 1872 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 19, 2007 direct injection into the economy of each constituency, and then the overall economy. When upwards of between Kshs60 million to Kshs100 million has been injected into each constituency in the last four years, it means that poverty levels in that constituency are being decreased. Even if we assume that only one contractor has got the job, that contractor will need to hire people to undertake the task. It means that it is not only job creation, but it puts food on the tables of so many. If we do not see the spiral effect of what the Government is doing, then we will keep lamenting about poverty. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is sometimes hard to see where some of the Government critics are coming from. How do you expect decline of more than two decades to be erased in four years? What has been done and achieved is simply amazing and it ought to be lauded! It is true that poverty is reducing. When people come here saying that the poverty index is 49 per cent without disclosing their sources, those are mere political statements. You should disclose where your survey was done and we shall know whether it is credible. In all the constituencies in this country, that is, countrywide, there has been more money flowing through the CDF. There has been an increase in bursaries afforded to students in secondary schools. There has been an increase in the roads Fund. There has also been several initiatives and monies are distributed having regard to poverty levels. So, there is affirmative action in budgetary allocation and this Government should be lauded for initiating policies that will see the inequalities of the past addressed. It is, however, unreasonable to expect that the inequality that has gone on for four decades can be eradicated in a space of four years. A lot has been done and a lot needs to be done. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the job market, we have heard a lot of dishonesty, especially from politicians going around claiming that only certain communities are hired. I think it is time we compiled the list of employees in all the Ministries. There is a Ministry you will find dominated by a certain community and another Ministry dominated by another community. Either it is a question of what specialities people have taken or it is an indication of the leadership that has passed through those Ministries. It is amazing that politicians stand to complain about their own actions. Those most guilty of tribalism now talk against tribalism when their actions clearly show that they are high priests of tribalism. A time has come, and a list is going to be published, and we shall know where the inequalities in job distribution and other issues are coming from. We shall be able to appreciate that all that this Government has done is try to address ills that are being perpetuated by the very people complaining, who, if given a chance, will return to their old habits. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the jobs created, who can deny that there is a construction boom all over the country? Construction does not happen without workers in the construction industry. Who can deny that our agricultural sector is doing well? All those farmers who are paid for their maize are going back to their farms. All the irrigation schemes which were dead, are now alive again. All those are jobs! When you are counting jobs, do not dare look only to the formal sector or public service. Just look at what is happening all round the country, including all the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) projects. You will not need to ask anybody to do a survey. If you are honest, you will be admitting that more than 500,000 jobs are being created every year by this Government because of its policies and the direction that we are following. When someone laments about the usage of the word \"pockets of poverty\", it clearly shows that we are not understanding concepts. The word \"pockets of poverty\" is not used to refer to any one region. It is used when in the midst of seemingly well to do people, you find pockets of poverty. You find few poor people living amidst riches. So, that even in Muthaiga, in Nairobi, you will find pockets of poverty. That is where you will find the slums. Even in Lavington, you will find something in the midst. You will find kiosk owners and people without habitation in the midst of seemingly booming prosperity. Where you find the poor, those are the pockets of poverty. The term has never been used in Government records or in any serious records to indicate either a June 19, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1873 province or a whole community. It can only refer to incidences of poverty among well to do people. So, let us understand terminologies before we go to criticise the Government as talking of pockets of poverty. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have also been criticised about financing of the Budget. I want to ask hon. Members: Can anyone who lives within their means, please, stand up? We are all on loans, whether to finance motor vehicles, dwelling houses or even to finance your lifestyle. Loans are accepted for business, for the Government and even for individuals. The only crime a Government can commit is borrowing what it cannot pay. If our spending is Kshs700 billion and we are only borrowing Kshs100 billion, we are well within our means. We can say, as our credit rating is showing, if you do not want us to have such a large Budget, then, please, do not talk about the infrastructure in your area which you want improved. Perhaps, you want to tell us whether you want a percentage of children in your constituency out of school or whether you do not want teachers paid. This is a Government trying to finance progress in this country but doing so cautiously so that we do not bite more than we can chew. We have a record! We have shown that our tax collection is going up every year. We are almost over the 100 per cent mark. It is, therefore, not unreasonable for the Budget to have a deficit of Kshs109 billion. This is well within what we can take. There are so many things that have been neglected over the last 40 years that need to be done now and cannot wait. Whether it is matters of health, water or security, these are matters we must do today. Let us not criticise for the sake of criticising. Let us seek to understand the Budget and appreciate that we need to keep moving ahead. Mr. Deputy Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to support and laud the Minister for Finance and his entire team for a wonderful Budget."
}