HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 242537,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/242537/?format=api",
"text_counter": 208,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Onyancha",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Gender, Sports, Culture and Social Services",
"speaker": {
"id": 126,
"legal_name": "Charles Onyancha",
"slug": "charles-onyancha"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I take this opportunity to support this Vote and congratulate the Minister for the able way he has moved the Motion. I think it is high time infrastructure in this country is taken seriously. The state of roads in many places is very bad. We have particular roads in mind, but I am sure the Ministry, through this budget, is determined to address some of those teething problems. I want to thank the Minister for taking the bull by its horns and solving some of the problems. For example, the Kisii-Kilgoris road has been troubling our people for a long time. The Kshs227 million that has been allocated is not sufficient. However, I want to thank the Minister for making that decision. I also want to ask the Ministry to be very tough on contractors who, even before they complete the roads, connive with staff of the Ministry and are paid. I would like the Minister to take stern measures to ensure that roads are constructed to the expected standards before payments are made. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry should construct security roads. In my constituency, there is an Item on Konangare-Nyabitunwa Road, which is a security road. The amount of money which has been allocated to this road may not be enough to complete its construction. The Ministry should channel more resources, so that security roads are also constructed properly. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, without proper infrastructure, we cannot expect to have any economic development. We have particular roads which are very critical in this country. For example, as you go to the South Coast in Mombasa, the Likoni-Ukunda Road is a very critical road that gives us opportunities in terms of tourism. Presently, that road needs quick repairs, so that we can earn some income from tourism. The Ministry should look into that aspect, so that tourists who want to go to the South Coast can drive smoothly on that road and feel welcome in our country, so that we can also benefit in terms of foreign exchange. It is gratifying to note that 95 per cent of the Minister's Budget did not concentrate on donor support. However, we should ask our development partners to assist us more in infrastructure in this country. If anybody who calls himself a friend of this country wants to give us money for development, I would like to propose that, that money be channelled through infrastructure, so that we can also benefit in terms of economic development. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the issue of roads concessioning should be taken more urgently and seriously. We should invite investors to invest on our roads and allow them to take the profits out of the country. The Government should allow any investor to invest in our roads and July 18, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2141 reap some benefits, but, at least, do our roads. We should be prepared to pay any amount of money to have our roads done very well. That would be a long time advantage to this country. The Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs has said that perhaps, we should now concentrate on areas that are rainy, where we construct roads and after a short while, the roads are worn out and we have to go back and re-do them. This is a subject that the Ministry should also consider. It does not matter how long we should take to do these roads, but we should do them once and for all and save ourselves the pain of having to re-do them. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}