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{
    "id": 251662,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/251662/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 210,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Eng. Toro",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Roads and Public Works",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 239,
        "legal_name": "Joshua Ngugi Toro",
        "slug": "joshua-toro"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I rise to support this very important Motion. However, the perception created that the Government has not been doing a lot about the transport sector is not correct. In his response, the Minister for Transport will talk about the steps that have been taken by way of furthering the transport sector through the relevant integrated national transport policy, which is an Inter-Ministerial Committee that is working for the furtherance of this policy. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will speak on the road sector because it forms one of the major transportation programmes in this country. There are issues that are being addressed in the transport sector that are very important to the road network. It is common knowledge that unless the infrastructure, basically the roads, are improved to higher standards in this country, which is basically agricultural, we are not going to see development. Over the years, since NARC took over, a lot has been done, especially in the road sector, by way of ensuring that the road construction is to the best standards as you can find anywhere else in the world. Previously, we would have contractors being awarded tenders in a hurry without any engineering designs. The contractor would just go and do his work. That is why you find that most of the roads that were constructed between 1985 and 1995 and even 2002 have failed. We have now shifted from that policy. We would like Kenyans to challenge where we are seen to fail. Even the patchwork repairs that we are doing are more improved than before. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have also addressed the issue of shortage of equipment. Recently, we were given a loan by South Korea to import road-making equipment worth about Kshs2 billion. That will make a big differences. The Ministry of Roads and Public Works is doing a lot to improve the road network around Nairobi City. We have in our programme the issue of the southern, eastern and northern bypasses. The eastern bypass will be opened to gravel standards in the next two months. The southern bypass has been earmarked for concessioning. This will go along with the over-passes that we are also going to concession, starting from Bunyala Road all the way to Westlands. These over-passes will ease congestion within the City Centre. The role of the private sector has not been exploited in Kenya. Unless we tap the private sector now, there are some areas of development in the transportation sector that are not going to advance. We have people and companies here with resources who can come on board by way of concessioning. An example is the railway sector, even if it has its teething problems. The concessioning of the railway sector will offer efficient services between the port of Mombasa and Uganda. The private sector is a solution to most of the problems that we have. When we talk about mass transportation within the City, looking at it from the private sector view, we will overcome some of these problems. The Government will not be able to offer its meagre resources to improve all the sectors in transportation. This is why the Integrated National Transport Policy will be tabled in this House for debate and approval. It is the wish of the NARC Government that this policy takes off so that we can offer better services to the people. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also need to educate the people of Kenya. Most of the accidents on our roads are also caused by poor signage. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}