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"id": 222044,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
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"speaker": {
"id": 313,
"legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I just wanted to raise a few issues. The pending bills that the Minister talked about are issues that should have been dealt with by the various Ministries. There is really no reason for us to budget for bills which are expected and yet every Ministry is supposed to operate within its means. Therefore, it is not justified that this House will continue to approve additional expenditure for pending bills, and especially for utilities for various Ministries. They are supposed to ensure that services rendered, say, electricity and water are within the budget. Therefore, controls must be put in place to ensure that these additional expenditures are not incurred in future. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are also additional expenses for extension services. If you go to all our rural areas, you will realise that there are no extension services, especially in the Ministry of Agriculture. To the extent that we are being told now that we are giving them additional funds for extension services is, indeed, not justified. We would like the Minister, in future, to look into how the money for extension services is being expended. This is because there is no justifiable reason as to why they should give additional funds to the Ministry of Agriculture when, indeed, there are no extension services anywhere in this country - They are not in my constituency. I have asked a few hon. Members and they have told me that they are not there too. I do not know where extension services exist in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to the Rift Valley Fever, we are grateful that it was contained. The job was professionally done and we must laud the Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development. He did a very good job to the extent that the disease was contained before it reached my constituency. Even if we give more funds to that Ministry, it is justified. They did a very good job. With regard to water boards, I think they are a mockery of what we call reforms in this country. Everyday, many hon. Members ask Questions in this House about what water boards have done in their various constituencies. The Lake Victoria Water Services Board - one of the hon. Members asked a Question this afternoon about it - has done nothing in the western part of this country and parts of North Rift. I do not understand what it does. I would like the Minister for Finance to tell us why he is giving additional funds to these water boards when they are, indeed, not functional. We would like to revert to the old system where funds were directly send to the various districts. There is no reason why a water board for North Rift is located in Kakamega and yet we are the people who ensure that water actually flows to that region. We are the catchment area of that region. Therefore, these water boards need to be looked into afresh. These reforms were misguided. If nothing is done, I do not see Kenyans getting water in the foreseeable future. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the additional funds for the Rural Electrification Programme (REP) are justified. Nobody has any issue with the Ministry of Energy. Hon. Members are very happy and we wish that they could even be given more money because they are doing a very good job. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR), as much as the President said that we should increase the SGR to about four million bags, we want payment to be made upfront. Now that we are giving the Ministry additional money--- Most of the time, payment to farmers is delayed to the extent that middlemen take advantage and pay farmers less. Farmers are people who require money quickly because they want to pay school fees and for other services. I would like to urge the Minister to be releasing money to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) quickly so that farmers are not exploited by middlemen. Finally, I would like to talk about the issue of identity cards. In as much as we would like more money to go to the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons, the Government needs to buy them more vehicles. There is no reason why this Ministry should not have enough vehicles. Many of us, many a time have had to buy these fellows fuel or give them our May 15, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1319 vehicles so that they can do a job that needs to be finalised quickly. So, in addition to issuance of identity cards, they must be given vehicles so that they can move quickly to all areas and perform their duties. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those remarks, I beg to support."
}