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{
    "id": 246901,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/246901/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 228,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Prof. Anyang'-Nyong'o",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 193,
        "legal_name": "Peter Anyang' Nyong'o",
        "slug": "peter-nyongo"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I support this Motion very strongly. First, I would like to commend my friend, Dr. Kibuguchy who said that in order to eradicate poverty, we must invest in agriculture. We shall not eradicate poverty if we do not invest in that sector because that is where the majority of the poor people are. Secondly, Dr. Kibuguchy said that he does not understand why we record a very high economic growth rate of 5.8 per cent, and yet poverty is rampant and the income of the rural folks does not increase. There has been a phenomenon going on in the world since liberation started. If you look at India, you will find that it records very high economic growth rate, but the level of poverty does not go down in many Indian states. In other words, under the liberalisation phenomenon, you can register high economic growth rate called \"jobless growth\". It is a growth rate that does not create many jobs. This is because the organic composition of capital in business rises. As the organic composition of capital rises, it means that few and few people are being employed in that sector. In other words, manufacturers would like to employ machines and not people. This is the phenomenon we are seeing in tea estates in Kericho. The tea estates will record high exports and a lot of earnings that will go towards the growth rate in Kenya. However, fewer people will work in those tea estates. Those who worked in those estates would be rendered poor. For example, if you tour Nairobi today, you will find that there is a lot of construction work going on, but where is it going on? Construction work is going on in Kileleshwa, Upper Hill, Runda, Muthaiga and Thome I and II estates. Construction work is not going on in Onyonka and Donholm estates. Construction work is not going on in the poor areas, but in high income areas. In other words, some people who were \"sitting\" on money during the Nyayo era are now investing it in real estate in high income areas. Really, that does not benefit the poor folks in Kibera slums and other places. If this Government had implemented the Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation which we had developed and envisaged a lot of investment in agriculture, urban renewal in areas like Kibera slums and public works to make people work--- If the Government had invested in the building of the dual carriageway from Mombasa to Busia, the economic growth rate would have been accompanied by a high rate of employment. However, because it is a jobless growth, you will see poverty rise while a few people accumulate a lot of wealth which goes into the national grid as growth rate. That is the phenomenon in this country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we must restructure our economy drastically."
}