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"id": 286459,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. M.M. Ali",
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"legal_name": "Ali Mohamud Mohamed",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I want to very briefly support the Motion on His Excellency’s Presidential Address. The President, in his Address, raised very many issues which are very important to this nation. It is true, as lawyers say that things speak for themselves. The record of His Excellency the President as well enumerated actually does speak for itself. Under his reign, this country has achieved tremendous development in various aspects which is very commendable. Of particular importance is the road infrastructure. I single out this one because the area that I come from or the upper eastern region, before the tenure of His Excellency the President, hon. Mwai Kibaki, we had not seen a kilometre of tarmac. This was since Independence. However, today, through the current President’s initiative and that of his Government, the road from Isiolo to Moyale is tarmacked. Already 130 kilometres of that section are opened and the contractor is on site between Marsabit and Turbi section. Therefore, the project is on course. The road from Turbi to Moyale has also been awarded and the contractor is mobilizing resources. I guess that in the next three months he will be on site. If this is not an achievement, I do not know what else is. This is because before then, people from that area used to say jokingly when they saw somebody travelling to Nairobi “when you reach Kenya, greet our people there.” This is because in their minds, Kenya began where tarmac began and the tarmac road used to begin from Isiolo. So, I want to commend the effort of His Excellency. These achievements are many. On enrolment in schools, we have seen how many primary school children have had an opportunity to go to school and develop themselves. His Excellency the President is a true democrat. Democratic space in this country has really opened up during his tenure. This is because we have seen people freely go about their business without being gagged or without His Excellency getting concerned as long as what they do is within the legal framework of our nation. That is, indeed, very commendable. We also got an opportunity to have the new Constitution, which as everybody knows has been a dream for far too long. However, the area that the Government has underperformed, with all that commendable record, is in the security docket of this nation. I want to go on record as saying that we have a lot to do in these departments. Very many counties in this country are faced with the challenge of insecurity day in, day out. I would like to single out the counties of Isiolo and Marsabit. I do not know why the Government has failed to maintain security in that area. It is only on Wednesday, last week that three kids were murdered in cold blood in Marsabit. As you very well know, we have lost over 200 lives in Isiolo in less than three years from 2009. The same problem spread over to Moyale, as you very well know, from December up to January this year. This is an area where this Government has failed and is letting down His Excellency the President. This department must pull up its socks. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the best thing that has happened to this country is devolution because this is intended to devolve funds to the grassroots. However, unfortunately, the Commission that was formed did not do exactly what the Constitution intended to do because the formula it proposed for us undermined the intentions of the true devolution that we and all Kenyans intended. Why am I saying this? It is giving so much emphasis to areas or counties which have already advanced. The intention was to bring the country at par because there is a lot of disparity. I would like to urge that Commission before my time runs out that it really needs to revise that formula so that counties like Isiolo, Marsabit, Turkana, Mandera and other arid areas that have been neglected for too long--- You will recall Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 which urged the Government not to invest in those arid areas because there were no returns. Therefore, the Government has been neglecting those areas for too long. When this Commission comes up with a flat formula that says that population is the main thing, it is unfair. This is because you and I know that our people have moved to areas which are already developed and are with better facilities. That essentially puts money where already development is ahead. I petition that Commission and when that matter comes to Parliament, of course, we shall debate it further. The other issue I wanted to mention before I sit down is food security. Kenya is advancing at a very fast rate and it will be very shameful to see day in, day out Kenyans relying on relief handouts whereas we can be secure in terms of food if only good policies are put in place. A lot of rain water goes to waste. If we invested enough money in dams and such kind of projects, Kenya would be secure in terms of food. I urge the Ministry of Agriculture and other Ministries to do all that it takes so that Kenya can be secure in terms of food so that our people do not face starvation the way it has been year in, year out. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I support this very important Motion. Thank you."
}