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{
    "id": 218457,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/218457/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 192,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Olweny",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 122,
        "legal_name": "Patrick Ayiecho Olweny",
        "slug": "patrick-olweny"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir for giving me this opportunity to make some contribution in support of this Bill. My concern is that the Minister is here alone. He is not with his officers who could have been helping him to take note of what we say. That is a serious concern. However, we are talking about roads here today. Roads, just like the rest of infrastructure, is a major key to development. Good roads are one of the major indicators of good economic growth. We are talking about good economic performance within the last four years. To me, that is not reflected in that major indicator; the roads. If we have no good roads, how can farmers realise growth? How are they supposed to deliver their goods to the market? How do other suppliers of consumer goods deliver their goods to the market? Bad roads, as they are today, make it very expensive to maintain and repair automobiles. Therefore, if someone tells me that we are realising good economic growth, that is something which I may not see being reflected in the major economic indicator; the roads. The roads in this country are at their poorest state since Independence. Probably those in other parts of the country are good. However, where I come from, to the West of Nakuru, the roads are terrible. This is more so reflected in western Kenya to the East of Nakuru. We have no roads at all in those areas and no one can tell me that we have roads, because they are terrible. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is always a budget for road maintenance and repairs. For instance, my constituency was allocated Kshs16 million last year. However, I have never seen anything being done on roads in my constituency. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have called the engineers but they say there is rain. But when there is a dry spell, they do not do anything about the roads. All they tell me is that they are still in the process of procurement, which takes six months. Six months is more than half-a- year. So, when are they supposed to do the roads if they spend more than half of the financial year doing procuring; looking for the same contractors that they already know and who are their business partners? I believe that most of the engineers in the districts and provinces are business partners with the contractors. They take six or more than six months to procure looking for the same people they eat with. Hon. Khamasi has said that these people are suffering from what is called \"eatology.\" They take time to look for the same people with whom they have the same \"eatology.\" I do not believe that is right. These engineers are not treating this country well. They 1806 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 13, 2007 are not treating us well. These guys are thieves! They are robbing us using the pen. That is being unfair to this country. Look at the road---"
}