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"id": 245927,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/245927/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Ndwiga",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Co-operative Development and Marketing",
"speaker": {
"id": 278,
"legal_name": "Peter Njeru Ndwiga",
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"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I listened to my colleague who has just spoken about roads. There is a lot of double- speak. I have listened very keenly to the debate going on in this House and there is a lot of double- speak. It is time we realised that we are leaders. We cannot, all the time, make statements because they are populist and give us political mileage. We all know the saying: \"There cannot be gain without pain.\" We cannot, in one breath, lament about the poor state of our roads - the road network in this country is very poor - and, at the same time, say that the Government should not raise capital to construct those roads. Where else does the Government get money to construct the roads? I wish to congratulate the Minister for removing the menace of the road licence. It is true that the increment in petrol prices affects everybody. Similarly, bad roads affect everybody; those with or without vehicles. Even passengers are affected by bad roads. Therefore, everybody should contribute some money to have good roads. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support that. Let all Kenyans contribute. But for the first time, we are asking the Ministry of Roads and Public Works to utilise the funds to build our roads. Again, I want to congratulate the Minister for increasing the allocation to the Ministry of Roads and Public Works. I am happy when I look at the allocations and what the Ministry intends to do with that money. I am satisfied that this country is properly covered. This is the first time, in the history of this country, that, that has happened. Today, our contractors are very busy. You do not find them queuing at the Ministry of Roads and Public Works with briefcases waiting to bribe somebody to get a small contract. Right now, there is so much work. Indeed, we do not have enough contractors to construct our roads. That is a fact. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are also creating jobs for the contractors. Some hon. Members have become very irresponsible in the way they express themselves. I have heard some hon. Members question the number of jobs that have been created in this country. If you have all the contractors in this country fully employed, that has created employment! Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to comment on the issue of the Sugar Levy. Whereas that is a new levy to sugar-cane farmers, I would like to inform my colleagues that it is levied on every other crop. It is levied on coffee. Coffee producers pay taxes. All Kenyans must pay taxes! I support the introduction of the Sugar Levy. That way, we will have a fund that will support the sugar sub-sector. All of us remember the story of sugar-cane farmers. Two years ago, when the sub-sector had collapsed, it is the Sugar Levy which assisted in bringing it back. Revenue collection has increased drastically. That is why we are getting some benefits. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has been increased. What else can we ask for? Everything is functioning well. Hon. Members are getting whatever they want. You will agree with me that when we walked into this House 12 years ago, you know what kind of benefits hon. Members were getting. But today, what has created impunity and an element of bad manners on the part of hon. Members is because we are well paid. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Members of Parliament would stand in any podium and cast aspersions even on the Office of the President. How many times do you hear an hon. Member say: \"Summon the President. Let the President---\" That is impunity! I think as responsible leaders, we need to tame our tongues. That is what differentiates us from the people we lead. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we ought to be leading Kenyans to celebrate the re-birth of a new nation; a nation where every season has something new happening. We have had the revival of Kenya Co-operative Creameries (KCC) and Kenya Seed Company. Yesterday, we had the landmark revival of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC)! That is not what we are talking about. No! Leaders in this country are not showing us where we need to go as a country. Instead, we are all pre-occupied with some Armenians fellows who walked in and out of this country. They will never come back here, anyway. 1628 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 27, 2006 So, it is time we re-focused our attention to the right things. Let us focus our attention on where this country should go. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is true that the Minister directed the Government to cut costs. One of the measures is that every Minister should have one official vehicle. I support the fact that Ministers should have one vehicle each because nobody can travel in two vehicles, as hon. Bifwoli has said. That should be implemented. Ministers should use whatever vehicles that can take them to wherever they are working. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to caution that while reducing the number of vehicles each Minister should have, we should not reduce the number of vehicles that are used by Government officers in the field where services are required. Instead of even auctioning the vehicles that will be taken away from the Ministers, I hope they will be taken to the field to assist the officers on the ground, so that they can offer effective extension services to our people. That is what is lacking. I would also like to suggest that all the funds that have been allocated for the construction of roads be channelled through the CDF. I am in agreement with my colleagues that, that should happen, so that the money can be put into proper use. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}