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{
"id": 224822,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/224822/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Nyachae",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Roads and Public Works",
"speaker": {
"id": 342,
"legal_name": "Simeon Nyachae",
"slug": "simeon-nyachae"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. My ten minutes starts right now and not earlier. As I said earlier on, the Minister for Finance is merely seeking the approval of the House to make the necessary adjustments to the Budget. The adjustments that have been reported here are absolutely necessary. For example, this House has always supported the adjustment of teachers' salaries. So, the Minister is asking us to endorse that, so that he can go ahead and release the money. I think, we should not raise any objection to that. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me also say that there is no hon. Member who does not know the kind of problems and calamities that we have gone through because of drought, the Rift Valley Fever, damaged roads and broken bridges. All those are things that are known. Therefore, the adjustments are necessary. The only thing that I would like to explain here is that the Minister is not asking us to adjust and obstruct any on-going programmes. These adjustments are to fulfil what is urgent. We are not just simply taking away money from some Ministries. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, some hon. Members may think that the Ministry is losing money. I am very conversant about that because in my own Ministry, if you look at the records, they are being shown that Kshs1.9 billion is being taken away, but the truth of the matter is that there is no on-going programme being interfered with. These adjustments are being made because the foreign finances are not coming within this Financial Year. Therefore, even with whatever portion we are going to contribute, the project cannot start. This is not going to affect only one area. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very amusing because when I accepted those adjustments, even the home district of the Minister for Finance is also going to lose out on commencement of road construction in his area because the foreign financing has not come. This is mere adjustment. Alternatively, what we need as an emergency requirement has been made available. In fact, it is more than what is being taken away as a result of the new projects not commencing because of the external financing not being available immediately. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not think that we need to raise any issues about what the Minister of Agriculture, for example, needs on cereals. At 43 years since Independence, we cannot continue thinking of failing to produce enough for our own consumption and start importing food from outside. Therefore, farmers must be given all the money they need to produce enough food. The National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) must be given money for the national food security. That money is necessary. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, regarding the Ministry of Health, there is no constituency in this country which has not had additional health centres or dispensaries. That requires additional staff and medicine from the Ministry of Health. If all those requirements have to be made available, adjustments have to be made and money has to be provided to support the programme. I do not want to go on and on. The message is very clear and the Minister has been very candid on all those issues. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, I would like to emphasize one point: In order to support the economy so that it continues to move with our thinking and our wishes, there is need for us, as hon. Members on both sides of the House, to put every effort in consulting one another. If you see something going wrong in my Ministry or any other Ministry, let us consult one April 24, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 849 another. It is not me who is in charge of roads. It is all of us because we all need those roads. If you do not work with me and vice versa, I do not see how we can succeed. That applies to the education sector, health services, the transport system and so on. Let us work as a team. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are areas where politics of all sorts can be played, but there is no way you can play different politics when you are in the same country and you want the economy of that country to grow. You cannot afford to have petty differences. Everyone wants the economy to grow. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not think even in politics where we oppose one another, that there is somebody who can say: \"I want the economy to grow backwards.\" Together, we need the economy to grow. We need to grow together. What we are doing today, on the adjustment of the Budget, is actually to support the economy to move. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, if we do not take note of the growth of our economy, outsiders have started to notice that our economy is performing well. Whenever I go abroad, most people, especially the business community, tell me clearly: \"You people, keep it up! You had almost ruined your economy! Never go backwards again!\" Could we move together and build our economy? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to second."
}