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"id": 242558,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/242558/?format=api",
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Karaba",
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"speaker": {
"id": 232,
"legal_name": "Daniel Dickson Karaba",
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"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Vote of the Ministry of Roads and Public Works. However, I wish to draw parallel to the figures given by the Minister and what actually happens on the ground. I will be quoting cases and examples from my district, Kirinyaga. I note with a lot of interest that much as we talk that the Central Province has got the bulk of the billions and millions of shillings, Kirinyaga is the least allocated. When I look at Kirinyaga, I find that those constituencies represented by hon. Members who are not Ministers, are the ones getting the least. Whereas the same constituencies represented by hon. Members are the ones producing the most. These are the ones contributing more to the revenue collection. I am a teacher by profession. It is only that these things happened. What happens is that if you want production, you must ensure that infrastructure is well developed. Where we have tea growing, we need to process and transport tea to the factory before it perishes. It is a perishable commodity. Where we have coffee, milk and other horticultural production it should be the same. Contrary to that teaching, you will find that where we produce tea, there are no tarmacked roads connecting the factories. Where we have horticulture, we have no tarmac roads. However, where the Ministers come from and particularly those involved in the Treasury, that is where the money is. My worry is, therefore, what do we need to do to make sure that we convince our voters that they elected us so that we can represent them here in Parliament so that we can as well be able to answer them many questions that they ask us? They will not understand that I represent them here July 18, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2147 yet I get only Kshs4 million for a road that is shared by two constituencies. I am, therefore, appealing to the Ministry of Roads and Public Works to make sure that Kagio-Baricho-Kibirigwe- Baricho-Kerugoya one time road which had been slotted for tarmacking is undertaken. Every other year I ask Questions in this House about that road. Last time I was promised by the Minister for Roads and Public Works then that it would be tarmacked. It has been allocated a paltry Kshs4 million which cannot even be enough for bush-clearing. This road had been abandoned. It had already been earmarked for tarmacking. I have bridges which have also been abandoned. Culverts are there and nothing is happening. I even wonder who is to be consulted when this is made known to the Ministry of Roads and Public Works. If not the engineers, why do they not consult the hon. Members who are representing these areas? I know that this road which was there from 1988 and was supposed to be tarmacked, to date, nothing has happened. Every other year, there are Questions asked here. I am told that it will be tarmacked. This year I thought it would be tarmacked so that next year I can have something to tell my constituents. Now I do not know what I will tell the voters. If this does not happen, it will be too bad for me. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I, therefore, plead with the Budget Committee, if it will ever work, to come out quickly so that we can table some of these figures here before they are even brought for discussion on the Floor of the House. We are very disappointed, particularly, my case is very disappointing. Looking at all the other districts, it is my district which is the last. Looking at Kirinyaga, it is my constituency which has got nothing because it has only Kshs2 million yet we produce the most. We contribute even more in terms of taxes compared to other areas. What criteria is considered? Is it that one has to be a Minister, an Assistant Minister or something like that? It is too bad again for me! This is something that we need to consider because we all matter in the district, province and in the country. Since we are contributing towards the country's economy, let us consider those areas producing most as areas that should be served with infrastructure and moreso, in Kirinyaga District where we produce a lot of agricultural products. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also note that from this book, of course, what my engineer was saying is true, that some districts are getting very little while others are getting more. This is something that is not fair. If we have to present a Budget to Parliament for discussion, for heaven's sake, let us be fair to one another. Contribution towards the national kitty will come from an area which will be served by a road so that it can contribute that revenue which is required. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also note that to achieve industrialisation in the year 2020, we will need to invest in agro-based industries. If agro-based industries are located in areas where there are no roads, then we will not attain industrialisation. We need to boost production in areas which produce agricultural materials. If nobody is thinking about tapping raw materials from where they are grown, then it means that we are day dreaming to think of attaining industrialisation by 2020. Let us be serious in planning for this goal. We should not use politics as a factor in the allocation of resources for construction of our roads. If we do that, then, as Kenyans, we will be doomed. Use of politics in the allocation of resources will develop only politically-correct areas of this country. This will mean that those who are politically-correct will get more funds in terms of budgetary allocations. It is true that my constituency got only Kshs2 million under this Vote. If we are not careful, even our schools will remain located in areas which are not accessible by road. We should first construct our roads so that schools that are constructed in this country are served by good roads. During final exams, the Kenya National Examinations Council has a lot of problems in accessing some schools in our rural areas. when planning roads construction, schools which are inaccessible should be considered, so that school inspectors can access them. Without 2148 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 18, 2006 proper access to schools education will be inaccessible to our children. I also wish to note that our roads are not repaired regularly. It takes a lot money to repair roads after they are damaged. It is better of to repair one hole, instead of waiting to recarpet an entire road. Our roads should not be constructed during the day, when our people are very busy. In the morning you cannot access Nairobi by road because of traffic jam on Thika Road. Repair works on our roads should be done during the night, the way the Minister has said. If this is done, we will minimise waste of time in accessing Nairobi and other cities, and this will contribute to economic growth of this country. We should use roads as arteries of development. Let us not use their provision as a tool for political advancement. we should open up our national parks and other agriculturally potential areas. If road networks are spread to those potential areas, I am sure we will create more wealth. I will, therefore, recommend that the Ministry of Roads and Public Works goes back to the drawing board and comes up with a better plan for improving our road networks. You will find that in the Printed Estimates, development of new roads is allocated more money than maintenance of the existing ones. Existing roads that are in poor condition are not allocated enough funds for retarmacking, but new roads have been allocated a lot of money. What criteria was used to allocate more money for construction of new roads at the expense of existing ones? With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}