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"id": 228479,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228479/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Mwenje",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Co-operative Development and Marketing",
"speaker": {
"id": 257,
"legal_name": "David S. Kamau Mwenje",
"slug": "david-mwenje"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity, also to support the Presidential Speech, which was presented in this House. I have been in this House for long, but I have not seen a Speech that really covered as many parts of our economy like the one that was delivered by the President during the Official State Opening of Parliament. I congratulate the President and I thank him for being able to touch on most of the areas that we thought of. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, anybody who would want to raise an argument about the growth of our economy would just do it for the sake of it. It is now very clear that even those who do not like the Government or the President, agree with us that the development pace in this country has never been like it is today. This includes hon. Members in the Opposition. The Bible says: \"You have eyes, but you do not see\". it is right for us to tell those who want to oppose the Government that they have eyes, they see, but they pretend that they do not see. The truth is that development has been felt in this country. It has literally been felt in every constituency. If anybody says that there is no development, then he or she should tell us what he or she has been doing with his or her CDF money, which is also part of the development. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, our economy has improved in many areas and I am now very proud to say that I am a Kenyan. Even in Nairobi City, where I am an elected hon. Member, you have seen the difference. Trees have been planted and the City is beautiful. We should allow this Government to stay in office for another five years and there will be a remarkable difference. If within three or four years a lot of difference has been felt and seen by every Kenyan, then how much more will happen in the next five years? I congratulate the President, the Government and all those who have been involved in the development of this country. The growth rate of our economy has improved from 5.8 per cent to about 7 per cent, which I believe very soon, as the President once said, should be heading to 10 per cent. In all the years that we have been here, we have been looking for money from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. Nowadays we tell them: \"We need the money, but we will not die if you do not give it to us; we will still move on\". We have been operating with 95 per cent of our own revenue in this country. That is very great achievement within a very short time. I believe very soon, Kenya will be a donor country rather than a country that is looking for donors. We will be donating money to other countries. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, later this year, we will be holding the general elections. However, I am surprised that some people are doing pre-election campaigns even before April 3, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 303 seats are declared vacant. As I was driving towards Westlands, I saw a very big billboard belonging to a Presidential candidate on whatever ticket and yet seats have not yet been declared vacant. The campaign period has not been declared. Why are people being allowed to do pre-election campaigns? I want to urge the Nairobi City Council to remove that billboard because it is not yet time for people to erect billboards to advertise that they are contesting the various seats. We all know that there will be contestants for the Presidency and for parliamentary seats, but why should somebody erect a billboard advertising that he is contesting for the Presidency when campaigns have not been officially declared? Elections have not been announced and there are no vacant seats. So, the people who have erected billboards should remove them immediately. I want to ask the Nairobi City Council to remove those billboards before they are removed by members of the public. Seats for Members of Parliament, the one for the President and wards for councillors are not vacant. So, let us follow the rules and procedures. Let other people not take advantage of others."
}