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{
    "id": 225689,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/225689/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 182,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Obwocha",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Planning and National Development",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 356,
        "legal_name": "Henry Onyancha Obwocha",
        "slug": "henry-obwocha"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) The Kenya Government has, in the past, acknowledged the existence of an income distribution inequality. That is reflected in the Welfare Monitoring surveys which were carried in 1994 and 1997. The new Government has put in place policy documents to address that issue. The Economic Recovery for Wealth and Employment Creation addresses equity and poverty reduction. In promoting that, we have put in place several measures to increase access to socio-economic opportunities for all. We have introduced the Free Primary Education Programme, the School Feeding Programme, the Youth Enterprise Fund and the recently proposed Women Enterprise Fund. Those are very important interventions. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are also innovative policy interventions such as the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF), Local Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF) as well as Constituency Education Bursary Funds which is assisting students from poor households to access secondary education. There is also a special plan for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), which have lagged behind for a long time. We have pumped money into that programme. In Upper Eastern and Upper Rift districts, more than Kshs11 billion has been invested through a new programme. In urban areas, you know the slum upgrading of low cost housing is being implemented to improve living conditions of the millions of the urban poor. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, it is also important to note that there has been increase in Government budgetary expenditure on core poverty programmes to ensure that they are sufficiently funded to facilitate access to services. Four per cent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is addressing this issue. (b) Finally, I have given the hon. Member a comprehensive two-page answer on what the Government is doing to address this issue. My predecessor put in place a survey; the Kenya Household Budget Integrated Survey (KHBIS), the Report is coming out to show where the welfare of Kenyans is. Thank you."
}