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"id": 245695,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/245695/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Githae",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Transport",
"speaker": {
"id": 159,
"legal_name": "Robinson Njeru Githae",
"slug": "robinson-githae"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity so that I can also contribute to this year's Budget. First, I would like to congratulate the Minister for Finance for presenting such a wonderful Budget. It was, indeed, pro-poor. It recognised certain difficulties that this country is going through and it, therefore, attempted to rectify some of the problems as the Minister had perceived them. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, time and again, speakers on the Floor of this House have spoken about poverty eradication. However, the more we talk about poverty eradication, it is like we are glorifying poverty. I think we need to copy what the South Africans are doing. They no longer talk of poverty eradication because that is negative; they talk about wealth creation. So, I am proposing that from now henceforth we should start talking about \"wealth creation\". We need to talk about creating wealth and not just merely eradicating poverty. It is clear that the economy did well because farmers for the first time are being paid. For example, the maize farmers are being paid well and they are now getting a fairly good return on their investment. The dairy cow farmers are also happy because the price of milk has gone up and they also are getting a fairly good return on their investment. For the first time, we are seeing roads being repaired all over the country. This is a commendable move and more needs to be done. The Minister stated that it was the Government's policy to first of all formalise and complete all the roads which were abandoned. I have one road in my constituency, Kaggio - Baricho - Kerugoya, which was abandoned more than 20 years ago. To make matters worse, only two kilometres of that road was done and fortunately or unfortunately, the two kilometres ended up where my house is. I am now being accused of having tarmacked only two kilometres for the road to end where my house is. I was not even in this House when this road was abandoned after the two kilometres had been done. I am told that this year, some money has been set aside to complete this road. I would like to ask the people concerned to move fast and remove this political predicament from me by completing this road because it is bound to bring an unfavourable political atmosphere in Ndia. I would also like to congratulate the Minister for coming up with a fund for the youth and June 28, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1699 women. We know that Kshs1 billion is not enough although it is a good step in the right direction. It is, indeed, a good beginning. It is normally said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. On the contrary, the time for the youth is now and not tomorrow. We have also been saying that the youth are having problems in getting employment. I think that if this Youth Enterprise Fund is properly utilised, we will be able to see some enterprises being started by the youth and the women. This is where our future is and so we need to support the youth and women alike. We should support women groups because women are the people who have really made change to take place in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I always feel like crying when I hear people politicising the CDF. What CDF has done over the last three years cannot be compared to what has been over the last 40 years. It is good that the Minister recognised this fact and increased the amount from Kshs7 billion to Kshs10 billion. However, obviously, more needs to be done. The only reason why Members of Parliament want the amount of money allocated for the CDF increased is because people can see something happening on the ground. Wherever you go, you can see something being done. There are other funds and I do not know why it is CDF only which is being highlighted. In Ndia Constituency, we have been able to build in every primary school a mixed day secondary school using the money from CDF. Every primary school in Ndia Constituency will have a mixed day secondary school. We have been able to build a police post in every sub location using the CDF money. Also, we have already started building dispensaries; at least, one dispensary in every sub location. That is the reason why I almost cry when I hear people politicising this Fund. It is for wananchi and not for hon. Members of Parliament. We are just custodians of the Fund; in fact, some of us are not even chairpersons of the CDF Committees. My work is that of a watchman of the CDF. I only ensure that the money is used properly so that many more projects can be initiated. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not happy about the issue of capital gains. Unless certain exemptions are made, capital gains may prove to be counter-productive. There should be an exemption of capital gains for first-time home-owners. It should be paid on the second and subsequent houses. If you buy a house and you live in it for, at least, five years, there should be no capital gain. It should be geared towards the developers who are building apartments for resale. That is where capital gain should be taxed and not the individual persons struggling to own a house. Yesterday, I came back from a trip in London where we were talking about international maritime organisations. I was shocked to realise that Kenyans do not own ships. Every Kenyan just thinks of buying a matatu . We should leave the matatu industry to the poor people. I am asking the rich Kenyans to stop buying matatus and buy aeroplanes or ships. They should leave matatus to the poor people. Rich people are still buying matatus - I understand that some hon. Members of Parliament also own matatus . I am now advising them to leave those for the poor. They should instead think of buying aeroplanes and start scheduled services in every constituency. We have got enough airstrips and the Government intends to rehabilitate them. We also need ferries in Mombasa. We really want Kenyans to own ships. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, may I congratulate the Minister for putting aside some money to pay teachers their salaries in arrears. I am praying every day that, next year, the economy achieves a 10 per cent growth so that we can pay teachers all their arrears at one go. I am asking Kenyans to join me in prayers, because we promised teachers that if the economy does well, then we would think of paying them lumpsum. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to request the Government to employ more teachers. There are trained teachers who are reaching retirement age before they have worked. They have never gotten any employment. I would like to ask the Minister to be courageous and allocate 1700 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 28, 2006 money for the employment of teachers and nurses. I am going to show him where he can get money from, even if it is more than Kshs20 billion. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the reason why the traders are refusing to instal the electronic tax registers (ETRs) is because of the past Value Added Tax (VAT). They think that once they install these machines then the Government will know that they have not been paying the VAT. If the Minister were to waive past VAT accruals, all the traders would buy these machines, and I am sure that we would collect more than Kshs20 billion additional VAT. But traders fear that once they install the ETRs and the Minister gets the old figures, then he will find out that for the last so many years they have not been paying VAT. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support."
}