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{
    "id": 385546,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/385546/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 153,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "cent of paved roads. That is the only county in Western Province which has less than 1 per cent of paved roads. Therefore, the idea that we, as the Senate, should be receiving annual reports on this is a noble idea. We should not just be receiving annual reports to inform us on what has happened in a particular year. I am proposing an amendment which will be moved by Prof. Anyang’-Nyong’o – I hope that you will give the Senator (Professor) an opportunity because he has an amendment that we have discussed – which will also obligate a report on the projected development for the subsequent years so that as we are informed on what has happened in the current year, we are also informed about the development being expected. When they come back in the following year, we should take them on regarding what they have done and whether they fulfilled what they had planned to do in the subsequent years. In Busia, we only have 113.7 kilometres of paved roads. This is the road to Busia from Kisumu; the road that goes through Malaba to Uganda; the road between Mumias and Busia and the road between Funyula and Lake Victoria. When I was campaigning, my people told me not to confine myself to paving roads in towns but to go and meet the people inside. When I went inside, I was horrified by the state of the roads there. These are the roads in South Teso, Funyula and Budalang’i. No wonder there has been no development in Busia because although the farmers are very good, they cannot take their produce to the market and even to Busia where they can sell them to the extent that Busia Town depends on foodstuff like cabbages, tomatoes, among others, which has been brought in all the way from the Rift Valley because the road from the Rift Valley to Busia is tarmacked. Farmers who produce food within Busia cannot move from Agenga or from Changara to Busia to market their products. As we seek the development of infrastructure, I would like to make a special plea for those counties which are mentioned as having less than 1 per cent of paved roads. One of those counties is Busia County. We can then move on to those counties which have earned a 2 per cent of paved roads and so on so that we are at par with others. I agree with the idea that we should not only depend on Motions to have these reports but develop a Senate Bill which will obligate all the Government Departments to bring these reports to us. The Standing Committees; eight of them, were not set up for nothing. They cover the whole spectrum of Government. Therefore, if we can develop a Senate Bill so that reports come in as a matter of course rather than because a Motion has been moved and endorsed by this Parliament, that would be better. My Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights will embark on that immediately. We will be having a retreat this weekend where all these issues will be discussed. One of the issues is on the development of a Senate Bill to talk not only about such reports but also to provide for our relationship with the National Government and the National Assembly and with the county governments, among others. With that, I beg to support."
}