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"id": 246510,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/246510/?format=api",
"text_counter": 145,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Awori",
"speaker_title": "The Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 290,
"legal_name": "Moody Arthur Awori",
"slug": "moody-awori"
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"content": "I know the Minister will be bringing the Micro-Finance Bill before this House. The sooner it is brought and enacted the better for our country. In that Bill, there will be guidelines as to how a fund such as this one can be utilised. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to suggest very strongly that we work with micro-credit organisations on the lines of K-Rep Bank. This is a period when we can now strengthen K-Rep type of banks and establish village banks. There are already areas where village banks have been introduced with little money. Women and youth groups can now access credit of between Kshs5,000 and Kshs20,000. These village banks are now helping people, particularly in the rural areas, to be self-reliant. Of course, the most important thing is that when we start administering this money through a structured village bank, the proposals that need to be funded must be viable. It is important that we have economists who will very critically examine all the proposals by the youth to ensure that the money they will be given does not turn out to be a gift. This will be a revolving fund. We expect our youth to pay back so that others can also benefit from it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is very important that we use this Fund to stop migration of youth into towns that has been going on for many years thereby creating social problems and bringing about the breakdown of family values and African culture. It is also important that we use this money in harmony with the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). If we work and administer this money properly, we will find that the youths who are benefiting can then even become suppliers to the projects that are being financed through the CDF. In recognition of the youth's contribution to our economy, the Minister has allocated money that will be used to revive the polytechnics. These polytechnics are important. In the first instance, the polytechnics must have suitable and good buildings. They must have adequate equipment. They must also offer relevant skills that can be marketed and utilised in the country today; to try and enhance the economy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the polytechnics should not only end up with good buildings and good equipment. It is necessary, at this stage, that we must have good technical instructors who will instruct the youth properly in the relevant skills. There must be people who will instruct the youth into entrepreneurship. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is also important that the youth polytechnics must be well-managed. In June 20, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1441 other words, we must remove the stigma that was attached to polytechnics in the past; that polytechnics were for those who had failed to either get into high schools or to go any further. I am also happy to see the policy that the Minister has continued with; of reducing inflation. When inflation is reduced, then the economy grows. I am happy to see that he has contained the interest rates. We hope that this will be maintained. He needs to look at the exorbitant charges that the banks continue to inflict on our people. I think it is extremely wrong for banks to expect a borrower to pay back four or five times what they borrowed. In this respect, many poor Kenyans have had to lose the properties they purchased despite the fact that they had paid a colossal amount of money towards the properties. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in continuation of the growth of the economy, the Minister has seen it fit to cut a lot of costs. He has done the right thing by starting with hon. Members. It has always been stated that leaders must lead from the front. When hon. Members are requested to pay taxes on their earnings, this is the right thing. I would like to appeal to my colleagues to expedite the formation of the committee to look at the regulations that precluded hon. Members from paying taxes so that, that can be repealed and hon. Members can start paying taxes on what they earn. Similarly, I want to thank the Minister for coming up with the policy of cutting costs by reducing the number of vehicles used by Ministers and Assistant Ministers. I do not think that there is going to be any difficulty in both Ministers and Assistant Ministers conducting their official business. I want to thank the Minister for giving tax relief to those who give donations to charities. Over the last 20 or more years, almost every year, I have urged Ministers for Finance to give tax relief to those who are giving donations to charities. I have been involved in very many charities and I have known that there would be more people willing to donate to charities if they know that those donations will be tax exempt. This is long overdue. In fact, it should have come a long time ago in a nation that is known for fundraising, Harambee, and giving out to the disadvantaged. I would like to urge my colleague, the Minister, that he should also extend this duty waiver for equipment and other materials that may be imported specifically to help charities. Another good thing the Minister has done is to increase the fuel levy. I know that there is an outcry already that this is going to affect a lot of people, particulary the poor; and that it is going to cause the public service vehicles to increase fares. However, every good thing requires sacrifice. This is a time that we need to sacrifice so that we can raise sufficient funds that can then be used to repair our dilapidated roads and construct good roads for this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in order to build good roads, we need, in the first instance, to use tarmac. Earlier on, it was stated by the Ministry of Roads and Public Works that to build a kilometre of tarmac road, it costs up to Kshs60 million. This is outrageous! This is something that we have to look at as a Government so that we can reduce it to reasonable levels. If we spent Kshs20 million for a kilometre, it would be more reasonable while Kshs30 million would be probably the maximum. I say this knowing that there are certain areas where more work needs to be done in order to stabilise roads and put on tarmac. However, overall, it should not be more than Kshs20 million or Kshs30 million per kilometre at the maximum. We need to repair and construct our roads. First of all, the major roads, like the road from Mombasa to the border of Uganda and the road from Isebania right up to the North Eastern Province criss-crossing the country, are absolutely essential. They must be tarmacked immediately. The second phase is to correct the imbalances that are existing at the moment. There are certain areas where there are too many tarmac roads while other areas have no tarmac roads at all. We need equitable distribution of the tarmac road network. We know that a good infrastructure improves the economy of the country. We also know that, without good infrastructure, no matter 1442 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 20, 2006 how hard we work, the economy will grow very slowly because bad roads make the cost of production of various things very expensive. So, in planning we must remember that every part of Kenya is important to us. But, currently, we should have discriminatory plans in favour of North Eastern Province, which, at the moment, lacks good roads. We should also target other parts of ASAL areas. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the zero-rating of computers is another step taken by Minister to improve our economy. Today, there is no business that can really succeed unless it is computerised. For instance, I know that in the near future nobody will be employed, even as a messenger, unless they are computer literate. We would like to ensure that our schools, including primary schools, have computers and teach computer lessons. In that way, when our students complete their education, they will be able to use computers without any difficulties. I would like to also thank the Minister for increasing the allocation to the CDF from Kshs7 billion to Kshs10 billion. In the very short time this Fund has been in existence, we have seen great changes in our rural areas. For instance, in a constituency like Funyula, where the population is only 90,000, Kshs40 million allocated to it through the CDF per year can do a lot of things. There will be Kshs40 million circulating among 90,000 people. This is a great step forward, and will help in reducing poverty and creating employment and wealth. The only thing we ourselves need to look at is---"
}