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"id": 246542,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/246542/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Serut",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Planning and National Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 297,
"legal_name": "John Bomet Serut",
"slug": "john-serut"
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"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to congratulate the Minister for Finance for presenting a well thought-out Budget, which to me targets the needs assessment of the people of this country. Since Independence, this is the only Budget that has targeted people's needs and should, therefore, be supported by all. Kenyans were overwhelmed after the Budget was presented by the Minister for Finance. If you went to churches and other public places over the weekend, you must have heard people talking well about the Budget. That was so because 70 per cent of our population is made up of the youth. When we talk about the youth, we are referring to people who are below the age of 35 years. The only thing which has remained for us to do in this august House is to come up with a policy framework that will address the disbursement of the Youth Fund. I feel that, in my own thinking, the fund must devolve around the constituencies of this country. I know that some of my colleagues have already argued that it should be done in consideration to the population factor. However, I differ with them because whatever facilities we will come up with will not be for youths of a particular constituency. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to talk about village polytechnics. The Budget Speech has a figure of Kshs505 million. I want to congratulate the Minister for considering youth polytechnics. That translates to Kshs500,000 per constituency. I want to thank the Minister 1454 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES June 20, 2006 for going a step further and defined how those funds will be distributed. I would like to differ with one of my colleagues who has talked before me, and said that certain constituencies require more youth polytechnics. He gave the example of Ijara Constituency, where there are less youths than his constituency. I would like him to know that the polytechnics that we devolve in this country are not a preserve of a particular constituency. The youth have a right to go to any polytechnic in this country, and attain whatever skills they require. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me deal with an issue that I had even raised a Question on, in this House - use of Government vehicles and other stores. I want to concentrate on motor vehicles. In Mount Elgon District, which is also the constituency that I represent, Government vehicles have been converted into private property. To me, that amounts to misuse of Government stores. I raised a Question in this House as to what limit the officers were supposed to use those vehicles. The vehicles belong to those respective Government institutions where they have been allocated, and not to particular officers. But in Mt. Elgon District, officers use the vehicles as they want. That is wrong! I hope that, by 1st July, 2006, the Government is going to move in with speed and ensure that civil servants report on duty at 8.00 a.m. and that, all motor vehicles in those respective districts, are always used and parked at the respective district headquarters for purposes of serving the respective districts. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me move on to the issue of improving the management of devolved funds. At this stage, I would like to compare the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) and Local Authorities Transfer Fund (LATF). If you go to constituencies and districts, the only visible projects are those that are funded through CDF. But the Government has gone ahead and allocated a lot of money to LATF. What mechanism has prompted this Government to increase LATF to 7.2 per cent, when the local authorities cannot even account for the 5.5 per cent that they are given? That is an erroneous increment and the Government must recede that decision and come up with a proper mechanism before it can even think of increasing those funds meant for local authorities. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, what is happening in most constituencies is that councillors have decided to prey on that money. They have converted it into salaries and allowances at the expense of the community. That money is supposed to develop the community. So, this House has to make an amendment to the LATF Act for purposes of accountability, if it has to have any meaningful development to the people. The issue of zero-rating duty on computers is a slap on my face. I come from a district that has been marginalised for the last 43 years. It has never seen electricity. Out of 30 secondary schools, only two have electricity now. Out of 130 primary schools, none has electricity. So, when we talk about Information Communication Technology (ICT) being introduced into this country, I think Mt. Elgon will be left behind. I want to use this forum to urge the Government to apply affirmative action and see to it that all secondary schools in Mt. Elgon get electricity before the end of this year, if they have to benefit from computers that are being provided by the donor community. There is a plan to take away dispensaries and health centres and police posts from the Ministry of Health and Office of the President, respectively, to CDF. We appreciate that, but the issue is: Are they being off-loaded from the Ministries together with the funding, or is it CDF which is going to fund them? If it is CDF which is going to fund them, then I beg to differ. I think the parent Ministries should take up their responsibility and build health centres and dispensaries, or they off-load them together with their funding. The same thing applies to police posts. With those few remarks, I beg to support this Motion."
}