GET /api/v0.1/hansard/entries/283448/?format=api
HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 283448,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/283448/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 527,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 376,
        "legal_name": "Millie Grace Akoth Odhiambo Mabona",
        "slug": "millie-odhiambo-mabona"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I was contributing last I had indicated that we should encourage the Minister for Finance, now that we are on the path to reforms; we should not backtrack on reforms. Last year, the Ministry of Finance did well in bringing the policy statement on time. This year we are backtracking; really there is no good reason or excuse. If you want the country to move forward, we should keep to the legal time lines. We should keep to the provisions of the Fiscal Management Act, which are very positive. I am glad that they have been put forward in a new legislation, so that even when we come up with a new structure of devolved Government we still will be ensuring that the same standards of fiscal management are maintained. I had indicated that even though the policy statement acknowledges poverty as affecting growth, we need the Ministry of Finance to ensure that we mainstream the aspects of gender, because the category of persons affected more significantly by poverty is women. Women are the ones who bear the brunt of poverty; the face of poverty in this country is women. Therefore, where it is indicated that incidences of poverty had risen from 45.9 per cent in 2006 to 52.3 per cent in 1997 it would be good to disaggregate that further by gender, so that we know how many women are affected as opposed to men. It would also be good for it to disaggregate it further by age, so that we can tell how many young people are affected by poverty. Many young Kenyans also bear the brunt of poverty. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am also happy that there is an acknowledgment that one of the factors that affect growth is infrastructure; this includes roads, energy, railways and ICT. It is also important that we take the issue of governance as affecting growth. We have just talked right now about the issue of corruption. I want to say that I was actually dismayed. I stood by my Committee. I do not change. One of the things I want to say is that I am dismayed when we want to classify corruption. Corruption is corruption whether it involves Kshs5, Kshs100 or Kshs100 million. Therefore, if you want to sustain economic growth in this country we must slay corruption in all its forms. I am one of the people who were not very happy with the lack of passion in the women whom we presented here for the Commission. I want to say that, indeed, what Bonny said was that there were no corruption issues alleged against these women, but they must have sufficient interest. I have packaged what lack of passion is in the women. They must have sufficient interest in the subject matter. You cannot be like a passerby in an issue you are supposed to be an authority in. They should have information and knowledge that is way above that of the ordinary Kenyan on the issues of corruption. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the things that I have noted that is of concern is that you notice that of the many Government Ministries that have come before the Committees, there is only one body that has not requested an increase in budgetary allocation."
}