HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 37136,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/37136/?format=api",
"text_counter": 412,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Sambu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 137,
"legal_name": "Alfred B. Wekesa Sambu",
"slug": "alfred-sambu"
},
"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to dispel the public impression that the Budget Committee took advantage of the responsibility bestowed on them to mischievously insert a Clause that will see Members of Parliament increase their salaries. Let it be known that the Budget Committee only highlighted the plight of retired hon. Members of Parliament, most of whom are living below the poverty line and sought to request the House to consider their welfare as proposed by the Akiwumi Tribunal. The Committee is not saying that Parliament adopts the Report as the Report was already adopted on 30th June, 2010. So, we are now recommending that this Akiwumi Report, already adopted by this House, be operationalized. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Budget is not an exclusive tool of the Ministry of Finance, neither is it a preserve of Members of Parliament. Rather it is a national policy document in which all citizens must play a part. Therefore, when the public cites wastage of public resources in the manner in which the Government conducts its business through buying of say, flowers or office furniture and other supplies, it is the responsibility of Members of Parliament as the representatives of the people to reduce the wastage. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it has been said again and again, and I reiterate, the youth unemployment is a ticking time bomb. Members of Parliament are aware that short term strategies employed by the Government to address the unemployment situation in the country have been faulted by the public. Strategies that will generate more meaningful and permanent employment should, therefore, be given priority. These include rehabilitation and revamping of existing industries such as Numerical Machine Complex, the textile industries like Kicomi and Rivatex and, of course, Pan-African Paper Mills. The high cost of energy is raising the cost of doing business and driving investors out of the country. This has had the effect of worsening the unemployment situation in the country even as substantial resources have been allocated to the energy sector in the proposed budget. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the food situation in this country is deeply disturbing. Drought and famine have become a regular pattern in the country. Every four to five years, the rains fail and we experience severe famine. As much as climate change has been blamed for this, these are also the negative effects of poor planning. In order for this country to address the issue of food insecurity, there is need for long-term strategies that will eradicate hunger once and for all. It is high time that this country learnt to put its money where its mouth is. If we truly intend to achieve the Vision 2030, then there is need to re-orientate our thinking from business as usual to business unusual. Food insecurity, unemployment, national security and creating an enabling environment are among the high priority sectors that the Budget should give preference to. Even with the resource constraints, hard times have to be met. It is in this spirit that the proposed re-allocation of some resources has been made. Resource re-allocation should, therefore, be seen in that light. From my understanding of the information in this report, we have informed the Committee of Supply to release the Budget that will ensure greater participation of Parliament in the Budget process. In conclusion, I note that what the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance tabled before this House was his expenditure proposal, but the people of Kenya have given their recommendations. The Budget Committee report, tabled before this House, has taken into account the views of the members of the public. It is, therefore, the people’s Budget. I support."
}