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"id": 246135,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Nyachae",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Roads and Public Works",
"speaker": {
"id": 342,
"legal_name": "Simeon Nyachae",
"slug": "simeon-nyachae"
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I will be very brief. I stand to support the Motion. I would like my brothers and sisters in this House to appreciate that the policy of the Government is to develop every corner of Kenya. I think that is the policy and it is what we are trying to do. I would like to appeal to hon. Members, based on what I have learnt in the past few years I have been a Minister in the current Government, that we are waiting to hear from leaders and from DDCs, the recommendations they have in terms of projects. I find it very strange that the areas which require more attention are the ones which are not active in bringing forward their recommendations. Areas which are comparatively ahead of the others are the ones which put pressure on the Government, in every Ministry, asking for more services to be offered to them. I would like to request all of you not to represent your people by only sitting in this House. Start representing your people from the ground. You should know what is being done. Some hon. Members, when I was in charge of the Ministry of Energy, used to come to me and tell me about the shortage of power experienced in their schools and hospitals. When I hear some hon. Members saying that nothing is happening on the ground, I really wonder. If you go to northern Kenya, you will find that there is expansion going on. The old generators that could not supply power are being replaced. That shows that some work is being done. Solar, wind and electric power supply development is going on. In fact, there is a study already completed with regard to wind power supply from Marsabit plateau going all the way towards the Indian Ocean. That is already complete. I know of hon. Members who have visited my office to discuss about the roads in North Eastern Province. I know that the roads there are bad. Early this month, the Central Agricultural Board went to tour North Eastern Province. The Board members could not go beyond Garissa Town, after being advised that they would get stuck somewhere where the roads are very bad. I asked my officers to tell me what was wrong with the road and why people from Garissa could not 1576 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 22, 2006 go to Wajir or Mandera by Road. We need that kind of information, to put into motion some action that can help our people. When we talk about roads being ignored, it is not true. We are working towards a road being constructed with international support from Garissa all the way to Mandera. We are working on that and it will involve a lot of money. Someone has said that the Government promised to pay more attention to the Marsabit road after the accident that occurred in March. Indeed, more attention is being given to the roads there. For instance, the Press is always reporting about Isiolo-Moyale Road. We are now in the tendering stage for the 131 kilometres of the road. At the same time, we are chasing the African Development Bank to move fast in its financing. We have problems with our development partners and unless you push them, your proposals can get stuck for one to two years before you get a response. Therefore, we need to work together. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in terms of development for every area in this country, we cannot sit down and imagine that every Ministry has a telescope to see the needs of each corner of this country. In my own community, we always say that you start milking the cow which has made noise because it wants to be milked. Therefore, if one keeps quiet while other people are putting pressure on us, they should not come to stand around this Table to complain. You should come to my office and tell me what you want. Let me fail to do it, then you can come and attack me here. You should not come grumbling here. If any of you has visited me in my office and asked me to carry out a project which I have not, let them stand and say it. If the Deputy Speaker asks me why I have failed to carry out the project, I will know what to tell him. However, let us work together. We should not look at the Government like it is not working. The Government is serving Kenya, including the area you represent. With those few remarks, I support."
}