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{
    "id": 277787,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/277787/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 258,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kinyanjui",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Roads",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 48,
        "legal_name": "Lee Maiyani Kinyanjui",
        "slug": "lee-kinyanjui"
    },
    "content": "I will talk of prioritizing the Bills and I hope this Parliament will find it fit to bring the Bill that will bring to life Chapter Six that we have already talked about. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there is also the issue of agriculture. Every year we have been talking of famine. I remember in 2008, 2009, 2011 and I bet even this year, despite the heavy rains, we are bound to do that. We have heard very flowery language from those who are concerned about food self sufficiency, looking for alternative crops and not depending on rains. The gap between what we hear and what is happening on the ground is not reconcilable. Therefore, we want to say that in the area of agriculture, there is a big problem because we cannot talk of anything when we cannot feed ourselves. Countries that have the worst conditions--- Look at countries like Israel and countries that are basically deserts, they are exporting their products to Kenya. This has been said for a long time but I guess in terms of results, we have a long way to go; I believe as leaders we must address some of these things that have been said. The creation of the East African Community and the integration policy that we have adopted has ensured that Kenya, being one of the leading nations, especially in industrialization, has a huge market and we can deliver our products to the market. Countries like Ethiopia, for example, have a population of about 90 million people, but they do not have viable industrial sector; so, they offer a great market for many of the products that we have here. But as has been said here, we have had a major challenge in terms of road network; even if you produce all the goods in Nairobi and you want to take them to Mombasa, Tanzania and Uganda, there has been the issue of the road network. I want to make it clear that in the Ministry our first target has been the economic integration with these two countries. The road between Kenya and Ethiopia is our first priority. I am sure that hon. Members will admit that we have made significant progress and the part that is remaining is only 200 kilometers long. The road connecting Kenya and Tanzania through Namanga, we have substantially completed it. The road connecting Kenya to Uganda and substantially also to Rwanda and the other countries has also been done. Also, the road between here and Thika is not a road to Thika. This is a road that leads to Garissa and to another country; it is, therefore, part of our corridor for getting our goods across. It has been erroneously stated here that the reason that that road has been constructed is because it leads to some sections of this country. It is most unfortunate that young hon. Members who are here, and who should rise above political games can come here and state that, when we all know that if you do a count, the number of vehicles using a road per day, the highest number is on Thika Road. It was at 150,000 vehicles per day and no other road is even at 100,000 vehicles per day. Mombasa Road is the second one in this respect; as we can see we have major works there. There is also the assertion by the hon. Member who is not here now that, of course, all the money that was removed from there was taken to Central Province. I would like to know whether the Kisumu International Airport is also in Thika. Is the ring road that we are doing around Lake Victoria also in Thika? Therefore, when hon. Members get---"
}