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{
"id": 228708,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228708/?format=api",
"text_counter": 178,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Eng. Toro",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Roads and Public Works",
"speaker": {
"id": 239,
"legal_name": "Joshua Ngugi Toro",
"slug": "joshua-toro"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a contradiction on the part of the Members of Parliament. On the one hand they say that the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) - and many constituencies have received as much as Kshs100 million - is doing a good job, because it is reaching the people, and they are very happy on the ground. Before its introduction, they used to hold Harambees and contribute from their own pockets. Now that, that money has been saved, development is by the people. However, on the other hand, the same hon. Members are saying that people are still poor. That contradiction is not sincere. This is because either people are happy on the ground because of the resources that have gone to the ground, or they are not happy. They cannot be happy and unhappy at the same time. So, the hon. Members of Parliament must be sincere, so that people can trust what they say. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the introduction of free primary education is a relief to the wananchi. The money they used to pay towards education is now in their pockets. So, when some people say that the economic growth does not translate to money in people's pockets, I fail to understand what they mean by that. This is because any relief given to wananchi translates into money in their pockets. The money they would have contributed in Harambees in order to construct dispensaries, cattle dips and schools, is now being used to develop their own welfare. So, poverty is not as it used to be. When statistics show that there is economic growth, we should be sincere. Let us not play politics with facts. One of the facts is that Kenyans are happier today than they were five years ago. That is a fact! If it is not, I would like any hon. Member of Parliament to sincerely stand in this House and tell us why the people he or she represents are not happy after receiving the CDF money and free primary education. If your constituents are not happy with what they are receiving, then they do not deserve it. They should give it back so that it can be distributed to those who are happy. It is insincere of Members of Parliament to be double-edged. On the one hand they are happy while on the other hand they are not. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, many of us have proposed that we amend the Constitution, so that we can create more constituencies. I would request that when the amendments come for consideration by the hon. Members of Parliament, there should be an annexe from the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), showing us which constituencies are being created. We cannot give a blank cheque to the ECK. We could agree in this House that we should create 41 constituencies, for example, then the ECK decides to do its own things. The Electoral Commissioners are not angels! They can go and decide what they want to do and then there is nothing that hon. Members can do. Let the Annex come to this House, we agree that they are doing a good job, and we will pass the amendments to the Constitution and the Annex, so that after that, hon. Members are satisfied that the increase in constituencies reflects what is required by the law or by the Constitution. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we should not have a problem with the issue of 50 per cent plus one; it is only that the timing is wrong. In 2002, nobody talked about the issue of 50 per cent plus one. Why is it being imposed now? Why are people talking about it today? Those are the questions we should answer if we are going to be sincere to Kenyans. Why should we agree to minimum reforms while we did not insist on some of them in 2002? Why were we sure that it was okay in 2002 and it is not okay in 2007? Those are the questions that wananchi would like to be answered by us. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, at the same time, if you want the President to garner 50 per cent plus one, then that will be an Executive President. Then why is it that, after the March 29, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 273 President has garnered 50 per cent plus one, you still want to vet his appointments and you do not want him to do this or that until Parliament vets his appointments? If you want him to be an Executive President who garnered 50 per cent plus one votes, then he should be let free to do what he wants to do in this country because he has been given executive powers by a majority of the people. Then do not come and muscle the President if you want him to rule! He has been elected by 70 per cent of the wananchi . So, do not come and say that he should not do this or that. Parliament should be able to come and pass the laws they want to pass in this House. You should pass the laws here if you want to guide the President on governance. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other issue is about minimum reforms. If we are sincere, we are going to insist that Presidential candidates should not be hon. Members of Parliament. We had agreed on that issue. So, why has it been omitted from the minimum reforms? They should not be hon. Members of Parliament so that we can have presidential candidates who are serious. You do not wake up one day and say that you are a presidential candidate and, maybe, you cannot even be elected as a councillor. Why do you want to go that way? Also, if we want to be serious, any person who has vied for a Parliamentary or civic seat should not have a right to be nominated as a hon. Member because once you fail, it means that the people have rejected you. Then you are nominated as a hon. Member. Why? That is an insult to the people who rejected you; that whether they like it or not, I am going to be in Parliament. So, we should have certain amendments to ensure that if you are rejected by the people, you should not be nominated. Full stop! These are the issues we should also be talking about so that we can tell Kenyans that we are very sincere. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I hear hon. Members in this House saying that the Government has not created employment, I do not know what \"creating employment\" means. We might not have reached the target of employing 1 million employees per year, but employment has been created in a big way. Otherwise, who are providing services for the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) offices countrywide? That is job creation! We have created jobs in the quarries, sand harvesting, carpenters, masons and workers. Otherwise, how does a hon. Member spend Kshs35 million or Kshs40 million in the constituency if he is not creating employment? So, let us be very careful when saying that we have not created employment. We have created employment! Even on the issue of free primary education, the suppliers are involved in a big way. We have also employed other people to deliver services. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we can go on and on---"
}