HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 280713,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/280713/?format=api",
"text_counter": 364,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. I. Muoki",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 87,
"legal_name": "Isaac Mulatya Muoki",
"slug": "isaac-muoki"
},
"content": "Thank you Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I wish to congratulate the President for the Speech that he gave. I would like to say that he, indeed, touched on the main issues of the country, ranging from the economy, infrastructure and other key aspects like security. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to congratulate the President for the work that he has done in the nine years that he has been the Chief Executive of this country. He has done a lot to improve the infrastructure. However, while I appreciate that, I would like to say that as a Member of this House and also as a member of the Departmental Committee on Transport, Roads and Public Works, it is true that the Government has done very well in the roads infrastructure. However, when you look at the whole country, you will find that the infrastructure development has been skewed. In some regions, the roads have been done very well and development is going on. However, in other areas, there is total neglect. Here, I am thinking of places like North Eastern, Coast and, of course, lower Eastern - Kitui County. I am particularly disturbed by the issue of Road B7. I hope the Minister is listening. I can see he is conversing. That is the only class B7 road that has not been tarmacked. The first survey was done in 1974. Every time, there have been promises that, that road will be done. The President has been in Kitui County many times, including on Monday, and he has promised on the same. The Prime Minister has also been to Kitui. He promised the residents of Kitui that, that road will be tarmacked. The same is the case with the Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs. It is high time that the Government takes the issue of that road seriously. It connects Mombasa, Kibwezi, Mutomo, Kitui, Mwingi, Isiolo and neighbouring countries like Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. It is very important that infrastructure development is done evenly in the country. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in arid areas like Ukambani, North Eastern and North Rift, you will find that there is a lot of potential. We have minerals and vast parcels of land which can be exploited for the development of this country. However, if the Government does not do roads in those regions, you will definitely be sure there will be no development. Therefore, when the Government says it will do roads in areas which have highly potential, it is also important to note that those arid areas are also equally high potential or even higher potential. That is because if a place is able to produce oil, coal, iron ore or limestone to produce cement, then the potential for such area is even higher than coffee or tea producing areas. Therefore, I would like to urge the Government to address the issue of tarmacking roads equally in the entire country. Still on the Presidential Speech, I would like to talk about drinking water and water for irrigation. In the same vein, there has been talk about irrigation. Every time, the Government says that it will irrigate parcels of land and make this country food sufficient. However, there has been a lot of talk without actual action. I am challenging the fact that in Kitui County. which I represent as a Member of Parliament in this House, we have very big parcels of land. We have big rivers; both perennial and seasonal rivers, which pass through that area. We have Tana River, Athi River and other smaller rivers like Tiva, Thua and others. They all pass through that area. We have been talking about irrigation in this county for the last ten years. However, no tangible work has been done in this county. I am also challenging the Government on this front to do as it has promised. We do not want our people, year in, year out, to rely on relief food. We want water so that we can grow our own food. If we do proper irrigation, we can be food sufficient and also supply this country with food."
}