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"id": 235661,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Billow",
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"legal_name": "Billow Adan Kerrow",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir and hon. Dr. Ojiambo for that gesture. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, while I support the Motion wholeheartedly, I think we are going about this whole business of fighting poverty or marginalisation the wrong way. If you look at the key issues underlined in this Motion which are marginalisation and inequitable resource allocation, investments and promoting enterprise and so on, what comes out clearly is that we have three fundamental problems that need to be addressed by this nation. This is because we cannot continue creating micro attempts or rather attempts to try and address issues on a micro basis. We have got Poverty Eradication Programme, another one called the Social Action Fund and the Youth Enterprise Fund. In my view, the most fundamental thing that we need to do to address poverty and eliminate this marginalisation in this country, is to address the issue of inequitable resource allocation in this country. Unless this Government or any future government is committed to equitable allocation of resources for development, there is no way we can get out of poverty and marginalisation. We will continue coming up with some half-baked decisions to the problems of under-development and marginalisation in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the second major issue is that when you talk about investment and promoting enterprise, one of the things that we need to do is to develop the country through infrastructure. For instance, in North Eastern Province which is one of the most marginalised, if there is infrastructure we will not be talking about marginalisation and promoting enterprise in that part of the country because the fact that we have roads, electricity, schools and water will mean that people will have an opportunity to trade, invest and to do all kinds of things. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other thing is; we passed policies in this House about the issue of small and micro enterprise like the Jua Kali sector. We said there was need to set up funds in the rural areas that will be accessible to Kenyans who may want to engage in micro enterprise. Those funds should be provided at concessionary rates by the Government. The Government has the capacity to guarantee those financial institutions in case those enterprises are unable to refund the money. That is what the government did in Indonesia and in all other countries that have done well. The other point is that there is lack of prioritization of development in this country. Today, we were told that His Excellency the President came back from China with Kshs4.9 billion to renovate Kasarani Sports Centre. As far as I am concerned, coming from an area that is most marginalised, spending Kshs4.9 billion to renovate that stadium is not a priority. If His Excellency the President went to China and came back with that amount of money to build the road from Garissa to Mandera, that would develop that region and help millions of people who live in that region. That lack of prioritization continues to affect this country adversely. We always think about November 8, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3487 ourselves. That will not help us. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, while speaking earlier on, an hon. Member from the Government side talked about investment clubs, et cetera . In the rural areas, where we come from, even an individual's potential to raise Kshs50 to buy a loaf of bread is not there, leave alone contributing to investment clubs. We have resources. Why should the Government provide only Kshs1 billion for youth development and demand that the money borrowed be refunded at an interest? The Government can afford to provide Kshs5 billion annually to women and youth without even charging them interest or requiring them to refund it. As a country, we have the capacity to provide those resources. Why have the youths just demonstrated out there? We announced last June that we are going to give them Kshs1 billion. Almost six months down the road, we do not even know how to disburse that money. We have a Budget of Kshs600 billion with which we want to address poverty and marginalization, but we do not even know how to go about it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this country has resources. Our problem is one of prioritization. If you can afford to spend Kshs4.9 billion to repair a stadium, honestly, you can afford to give Kshs4 billion to women and youth in this country without any conditions, to enable them develop their capacities so that they can develop their enterprise and rid themselves of poverty. Those are the issues that we need to address. I want to particularly thank Dr. Ojiambo for coming up with the Social Enterprise Bill. At the same time, it is important to inter-phase the issues that this Bill is seeking to address with the policies that the Government has in its Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth Creation and Employment, and particularly about the Social Action Fund. The Fund has been proposed since 2003, but up to now, we have not seen any Bill brought to this House for legislation on the issue. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the Economic Recovery Strategy, the Government promised to create a Social Action Fund of up to Kshs12 billion to address the issues that have been raised here. It is important that some of those issues are addressed. I thank the hon. Member for donating part of her time to me. I beg to support."
}