{"id":245138,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/245138/?format=json","text_counter":53,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mr. Kiunjuri","speaker_title":"The Assistant Minister for Energy","speaker":{"id":175,"legal_name":"Festus Mwangi Kiunjuri","slug":"mwangi-kiunjuri"},"content":" I am happy now, Mr. Speaker, Sir. June 29, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1725 I beg to reply. (a) The money collected under the Rural Electrification Programme through the 5 per cent Rural Electrification Levy in the last four years is Kshs4 billion. (b) A total of 965 projects, which are spread throughout the country and estimated to cost Kshs5.6 billion, have either benefited or are earmarked to benefit from those funds. In Kerugoya- Kutus, projects estimated to cost a total of Kshs24.2 million have been approved and payments made for their implementation in the last three years. Those are: Kangaita Market and Health Centre - Kshs1.5 million, Mutitu Market and Kiarugu Coffee Factory - Kshs12.7 million, Kiamuthambi/Kiarugu Market - Kshs5 million and Kiamutuira-Ngorano Coffee Factory - Kshs5 million. Construction work on Mutitu-Kiarugu project has already started. Others are envisaged to start in the course of this year. (c) I would like to see a situation where access to electricity in the rural areas is enhanced to accelerate the socio-economic transformation of rural Kenya. It will improve the quality of life, reduce poverty through creation of on-and-off farm employment and arrest rural-urban migration."}