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"id": 224852,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/224852/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. ole Metito",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Youth Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 199,
"legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
"slug": "judah-ole-metito"
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"content": " Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity. I want to support this very important Motion. I also want to add my voice to those who are in agreement that the economy is growing and, actually, it has grown. In that regard, I would like to thank those in the Treasury and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for a job well done. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in supporting the Supplementary Estimates, I was expecting the Minister to actually take into account or take into consideration the establishment of the new districts. New districts have been created, and it is a very good move because that is bringing services closer to the people. With those new districts, we need additional funds in these Supplementary Estimates that will go towards building of offices and, also, posting of personnel to those new districts. In essence, that is actually to operationalize those new districts, because in every new district, we need all Ministries to be represented there. So, it is important for the Minister to take into account those newly created districts because they are now totally independent from their parent districts. District Commissioners have already been posted and we will have new structures like the creation of more divisions and locations, downwards up to the grassroots level, and all these need vehicles, offices and also staff to run the affairs and activities of those new districts. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to support a Vote in the Supplementary Estimates; that is Vote R33, Electoral Commission of Kenya, that is going toward voter registration. This is an election year and we still have so many young people who are not eligible voters because they do not have their voting cards and it is a good move that, in the Supplementary Estimates, that one has been provided for. But it is always good to marry the issue of voter registration with the registration of persons for Identity Cards. If we actually provide further funding in the Supplementary Estimates for the registration of new voters and then, out there, those voters have no Identity Cards, which is a requirement for you to be registered as a voter, I really wonder then, how are people going to register as voters? So, I would like to urge the Ministry for Immigration and Registration of Persons to speed up the process of Identity Cards issuance. When the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), which is very efficient in this process, says voters registration will go on for one month, it is precisely so. However, very few people want to register as voters. What is happening right now at the grassroots level is that people register for Identity Cards, but it takes more than a year for them to be issued with the same. So, it is important that this Ministry looks into this issue with a lot of seriousness. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have had several calamities in this country, April 24, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 855 especially the Rift Valley Fever (RVF). The RVF and other livestock diseases have been occurring because of several issues. The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development has always dealt with the curative side of these diseases instead of taking preventive measures. I would urge the Minister for Finance to provide more funding to the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, so that it can go a step higher in preventing these diseases. One way of doing so, is by reviving all the stalled cattle dips in the whole Republic. If they were functioning, most of these diseases would have been prevented. Every time we try to cure these diseases instead of preventing them. Although the RVF has been contained, it is a pity that over 60 per cent of the livestock of this country have not been vaccinated against the RVF. So, if more funds were allocated to that Ministry, I am sure, they will vaccinate our livestock against the RVF. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of teachers, I would like to concur with other speakers that as much as we support the additional funding towards the increment of teachers' salaries, there is always a need to employ more teachers. We should provide more funding to the Ministry of Education, so that they can employ more teachers. We are building more schools using the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). We are starting primary schools in very remote areas. However, they are becoming white elephant projects because there are no teachers. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the same applies to health facilities in this country. Hon. Simon Nyachae, while seconding this Motion, mentioned that in each and every constituency, there have been additional health facilities. If the Government will not take very seriously the issue of new dispensaries built using CDF funding, we will have very many white elephant projects in this country. I think it is against the policy of this Government to have white elephant projects. If we start a project, we must finish it and make it operational. So, I would urge the Minister to provide more funding to the Ministry of Health for the operationalization of those facilities. In fact, the Ministry of Health has instructed Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) in all districts to only operationalize one health facility per constituency. In so doing, we will end up having so many stalled projects in our country. We have enough drugs in our dispensaries, but we need enough and qualified personnel to administer those facilities. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}