HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 240177,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/240177/?format=api",
"text_counter": 183,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kibunguchy",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Health",
"speaker": {
"id": 294,
"legal_name": "Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
"slug": "enoch-kibunguchy"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the opportunity. I would also like to join my colleagues in congratulating the Minister for Local Government, who also happens to be the Chairman of my party, FORD(K), for ably moving his Vote. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to congratulate the Ministry of Local Government, and in particular, the Town Clerk of Nairobi City Council. When you look at the media, there is a lot of commendation from various parts of this country congratulating the Town Clerk for the wonderful work that has been done so far in this City. When you walk everywhere, you find trees are being planted. As other hon. Members have mentioned, the lighting system, especially in the CBD area and many other reforms that are extremely positive and enlightening, goes to show that where there is will, you will always get a way. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will spend a bit of time talking about Lugari. Looking at this book, Lugari County Council has been allocated Kshs3 million for construction of a bus park. It is little, but probably in terms of development for Lugari District, this is the only year that we have got any money from this Ministry. I would like to thank the Minister for that. At the same time, I would like to remind him that Lugari District is a new district and lacks a lot of basic facilities. Lugari District is however endowed with a lot of agricultural potential. I would like to urge the Minister to do a lot more for this district. We are now developing the bus park. But the question of planning should come in again and again. In as far as markets are concerned, there is no planning. Therefore, structures keep coming up and certain centres like Matunda, are a nightmare. If a fire broke out there, I do not know how we can save our people. So, for all that, I would ask the Ministry of Local Government, as a matter of urgency, to look into this whole concept of planning for our towns, markets and other informal trades, especially hawkers where they are able to carry out their businesses without interference. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me concentrate on Lugari District. We are getting slightly over Kshs22 million for development from LATF. This is significant. There has been a surprising rise from last year. But like all the other hon. Members have said, all this money for development that passes through LATF is never realised on the ground. My suggestion to the Minister in terms of reforms is to find a system where the money for development that comes 2492 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 1, 2006 through LATF is consolidated with the money that we get from the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). We should put all this money together in one basket and sit down and allocate it to the various development projects in our areas. If we did it that way, then this money can be significant and can go some way in addressing development. In Lugari District, for example, there are ten locations. I can very easily see that this money coming for development is going to be divided by ten. So, each location will get Kshs2 million. You find that when the money comes to the location, it goes to little projects that do not have any impact. I know the Minister has directed that money for development will consider big projects. But the politics on the ground is such that each location will want to get its share. Therefore, you will find this money will go into small little projects in each location. That is why to most of us, these projects are so small that you cannot even see them with your naked eyes. That is also why most Members are saying, we do not see anything that is being done with money that is meant for development that comes through LATF. I propose that we consolidate this money with CDF and harmonise how we use it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to root for the fact that our councillors are not remunerated well enough. We have to find a way. I know that councillors are never paid salaries, but allowances. If it is a question of reviewing the Local Government Act so that we pay the councillors something reasonable, depending on the living standards, let us do it. That, in a way, will be a motivation and probably, we can get some councillors who can add value to our councils. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to talk about poverty and unemployment in this country. Those are the two biggest problems that we have to contend with in this country. That is why we have problems of hawkers and boda boda boys. There are many of them in Lugari and, of late, they have arrived in Nairobi. That is why we have so many of these so-called informal businesses. It is very sad when you see poor people carrying children on their backs and they have probably not eaten the whole day. They try to eke a living on the roadsides while being harassed by the Nairobi City Council askaris . Sometimes as the saying goes, \"They are children of a lesser god\". Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, that is why we are here as elected leaders. We must be able to address the issue of hawkers in this country. It probably is not as bad in Nairobi as in towns like Eldoret. When you go to Eldoret, even in the middle of the day, people have put their wares right across the road and we must be able to plan for this. I think the Ministry should come out with a master plan. In some countries, you find highrise double deck areas where people sell their wares. We must be able to find a solution to this problem because in the end, we are punishing our own mothers, sisters and brothers whose only fault is that they are poor and have to make a living. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, so for all that, I would like to urge the Ministry and the Minister, who I said is my Chairman, to be able to look into this problem and solve it, I hope before 2007, because there is a lot of wrath out there. I beg to support."
}