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{
    "id": 242179,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/242179/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 203,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kipchumba",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 313,
        "legal_name": "Joseph Kipchumba Lagat",
        "slug": "joseph-lagat"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to give my comments regarding this important Ministry. I think hon. Members have now seen the importance of having a Budget Committee and they now appreciate the importance of sharing resources properly. However, the practice we are seeing today has always been there since Independence, where money meant for the construction of roads is always taken to areas where those in authority have interests. It is a practice that has been taking place and is likely to go on until we have a Budget Committee. We want to believe that this is the last time we have to pass this Vote without having a Budget Committee in place. So, let us pass it today and correct the situation as we move along. I want to talk about the Kenya Roads Board (KRB). This House wants to allocate more money to the KRB. Hon. Members want the 16 per cent of revenue that goes to the CDF increased to 24 per cent. That is very important because the money that goes directly to our constituencies is what is used to carry out most of the projects. However, that money can make sense to us only if engineers do not interfere with its use and become contractors. That is the biggest problem we have in this country. Contractors in every district are the ones who own construction companies. So, when tenders are floated, they are the ones who win. That is the point we should start looking at because we may continue complaining forever. We can even increase the CDF to Kshs20 million per constituency. However, as long as the District Roads Engineers are the ones who continue to give out tenders, the process of awarding tenders will not be fair. It must be supervised or awarded in the constituencies themselves. If that happens, we will see more projects being carried out with the money."
}