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"id": 229180,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/229180/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Michuki",
"speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Administration and National Security",
"speaker": {
"id": 183,
"legal_name": "John Njoroge Michuki",
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"content": " I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for affording me the opportunity to also contribute to this very important debate on the Speech of His Excellency the President, which he gave at the opening of this House. First of all, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to congratulate the President for the information that is contained in his Speech and in particular the matter-of-factly way he outlined the achievements of this Government in relation to what has been done in the last four years. The Speech goes even further because it also gives the Vision and in particular states what the Government intends to do between now and the year 2030. Mr. Speaker, Sir, first of all, it is worth noting that the basis of our progress on the economic front has been put in place. If one looks at the Kenyan economy from the point of view of macro-economics, we have made tremendous achievements in making sure that the interest rates in all our financial institutions are not only stable, but also lower than ever before. I would also like to note that over the period, the Kenyan shilling has considerably strengthened and acquired a very stable exchange rate. Inflation has also been very well contained to a single figure. Indeed, this single figure is more on the lower than the higher side. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are all witnesses of what has been done in this country by this Government. We have put in place all that goes to create a growing economy in education, health, water infrastructure and information technology. Mr. Speaker, Sir, at the risk of repeating what has been said before, I want to say, with a little bit of difference, for instance, that from our own taxation we have achieved tremendous progress. We are able to finance 95.28 per cent of the total budget. This budget stands at Kshs474.4 billion per year. The ability of Kenyans to provide this money emphasises the underlying strength that this economy continues to acquire. The amount we are taking out of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is slightly under 25 per cent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, over this four-year period, I hope this House has observed the creeping-in of another facet in terms of progress that has taken place. For the first time in the history of Kenya, it is during the reign of this Government that our national statistics have been referred to in trillions. We have now moved away from billions. Our GDP today is Kshs1,781,599,000,000. Therefore, for the first time we will have to change our calculators because they have ten digits and yet, the figures we are supposed to account for are more. If there is any proof of the extent to which March 27, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 119 the economy has expanded, it is by looking at the GDP. It was about half the amount four years ago. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I, therefore, want to invite this House to join His Excellency the President in trying to achieve and implement what he sees as the next course of action. This is because it is in this way that we will achieve economic independence which we still do not have. He has visited Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) a number of times to ensure we have quality maize, wheat and beans seeds. As a result, Kenya is self-sufficient in terms of food production. We could say that, this is the beginning of that journey towards economic independence that this country still yearns for. I would, therefore, challenge every Kenyan to join hands with the Government. It is the war to achieve economic independence that we still remain to fight. It is not what we engage in by exchanges, which do not add any grain of maize on our tables. We must now, as the President says, move away from politics of confrontation into constructive politics. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}