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{
    "id": 273393,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/273393/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 261,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the grievances that are being raised by the group like MRC and you want to compare it with, for example, the north eastern or the upper part of the Rift Valley, you would say that Coast is very developed. When we talk about infrastructure, in the Coast you would find several kilometres of tarmac roads. There in the Coast we have tourist hotels, industries and the Port of Mombasa. We have got investments in Malindi, Lamu and so on. Look at the North Eastern, for example, there are only a few kilometers along Garissa Town that have been tarmacked. There are about ten kilometers of tarmac road in the whole of North Eastern Province. So, there is a degree of marginalization that one can really talk about here. I want to agree with hon. Chachu that the Ministry of State for the Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands ought to be given more funds, so that it can roll out more programmes and projects. We hope that more funds will be provided to that Ministry in this coming financial year. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Ngugi has raised a very pertinent issue. He said that some of those groups begin very well with very noble objectives because they are highlighting certain grievances of people generally. They have grievances that they want to be addressed because there are issues that have been swept under the carpet for a long time and have not been addressed. I mentioned Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 as the starting point. If you read that Paper, you will see that it talks about African Socialism and its application to planning in Kenya. It also talks about the ideology and a mixed economy where the private sector lives side by side with the public sector. As you go further, it says that the Government should invest in high potential areas in the country. Those are the ones that the Government should target because there will be a high rate of return on investment in those areas. The marginalized areas, the ones we call the arid and semi arid regions will benefit from the trickledown effect. The trickledown effect is what did not happen. As we continue to put more investment in high yield areas, the other areas were continually neglected. That is what has put us where we are today. That is what we are changing with the new Constitution. That is the reason why we have introduced devolution of power so that resources can be distributed equitably and secondly, that we will also have equalization fund which will deal with the historical neglect of certain areas and allow some form of affirmative action. That is because they will be getting some form of special funds to develop infrastructure in those regions. These issues have been swept under the carpet for far too long and they are the genesis of the problems that we are having. If these matters are never addressed--- Some of these organizations come up with very genuine concerns. Even if you look at Mungiki, for example, if their issues are not addressed, then radicalization takes place. Usually, there will be groups that will then hijack the leadership of those movements and radicalize them. If you look at a group like the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, you will see that their origins were very noble. However, they were radicalized because the authorities refused to negotiate with them and, therefore, they saw no other avenue left for them other than physical confrontation with the establishment. That is why we are saying it is necessary to embrace those movements and talk to them. When I said that we should talk to the Mungiki, I meant what I was saying because if you look at the origins of Mungiki, you will see that it was very genuine. However, politicians, for selfish interests, hijacked the movement, provided funds and started using them as gang for hire. The radicalization of the Mungiki started a long time ago."
}