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{
    "id": 228926,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/228926/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Ali",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am talking about the REP. Solar equipment is all over. It costs about Kshs30,000 to put up solar equipment in a primary school. I can install March 28, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 187 them in every school in that constituency. That is not an issue. It is quite interesting to note that the Assistant Minister is putting up electricity power lines all over his constituency. I pass by his constituency once in a while. Electricity lines are crisscrossing every corner. In my constituency, my people have never seen electricity even in towns. I asked the Minister for Energy who visited my constituency a while ago and he told me that they will connect my area with electricity power from Ethiopia. When will that be done? When the world will come to an end? Will it be done in the next 100 years? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what is surprising me is that, if Kshs7 billion has been used for the REP in the last four years--- At least, from the Kshs6.5 billion that was used for over 40 years, we managed to supply electric power to five or six areas! With Kshs7 billion, we should supply electricity to every constituency. Generators should be put up in every constituency headquarters. We should not just rely on solar energy. We can tap solar energy. But that kind of energy is stationed in one building. It cannot be distributed to other buildings. I brought a Motion to this House which the Ministry was very happy about. The Assistant Minister promised to bring a Bill to this House to allow us to supply power commercially. At our level, we can buy generators and distribute power to neighbours. But, to date, the Ministry has not implemented that. So, if we are talking about the people in the rural areas getting better services - I admit that the Government cannot do everything. But I am sure individuals and the private sector can chip in. There are rules which do not allow individuals to buy generators and distribute power to their neighbours. However, if we are allowed to distribute power, those small centres will be covered and Kenya will be a better place. All the rural areas will become a better place for us all. On the issue of security, I am happy to report that some of us are sleeping well nowadays. But that is not because of the Government, but is just because the people have gotten tired. I wish to urge the Government to try and give Kenya Police Reservists (KPR) to those border areas, so that security is enhanced, otherwise these nomads will kill themselves day in day out, as my friend from Marsabit said. Security along the border is very important for the nomadic people, because they cross from one side of the border to the other. Unless there is good security situation on both sides of the border, they will not live well. The Kenyan security forces have a reputation for not wanting to cross to the other side of the border when there are problems. I think this Government should take care of its people. When two or three people are killed in other places, there is a lot of noise. But when people are killed along the border, especially pastoralists, nobody even cares. So, it is good that the Government takes care of its people wherever they are. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}