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{
    "id": 386447,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/386447/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 147,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "April 24, 2013 SENATE DEBATES 41 The Senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet County",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": " Thank you for noticing me. I almost fell down after standing. Thank you for this opportunity. I am very grateful, first of all, to the people of Elgeyo-Marakwet County who elected me overwhelmingly to become their Senator. If Elgeyo-Marakwet was another county, probably I would not have survived. However, those people, against all odds, money and big names, elected me to be their Senator. I was running against a self baptised total man, but people still voted for me. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to congratulate the people of Murang’a for electing you. I also want to congratulate other Senators who were elected together with those who were nominated. I also want to congratulate our Speaker who was elected by us. I hope that this group will deliver the promise of developmental devolved governance which we really yearn for in this country. I support the Speech of the President with no reservation, except to say that next time, he should be digital. I agree with Sen. Khaniri that he should not be walking around with pieces of paper anymore because this is a digital Government. So, the President, just like me, should be having his I-pad. One key issue in his Speech was the issue of marginalization. I come from Elgeyo-Marakwet County. It is one of the marginalized counties in this country. We all know and we do not want to deny marginalization was a factor of the Sessional Paper No.10 of 1965 where the Government was to put resources in high potential areas. The understanding of “high potential” was agrarian areas which were the former white highlands. More than half of Elgeyo-Marakwet County does not fall within that definition. That is the case for other counties like Turkana, Coast and Kehancha in Migori County which is a beautiful place, but underdeveloped. The reason we went for devolution under Article 124 of the Constitution was to equalize this country and to develop it. I believe that when the President promised among other things, that he would develop infrastructure and work on irrigating one million acres that will go towards equalizing the nation, it will be implemented. I have always believed that in places like Samburu, the reason policemen were attacked and why cattle- rustling goes on in those areas, is because the infrastructure is bad. If you did good roads in places like Suguta Marmar, among others, this would attract the best investors and boost tourism. Good infrastructure would have made a big difference. There are many places in Elgeyo-Marakwet County where people are still using donkeys as a mode of transport. I always remember the story of Jesus before he went to heaven. He used a donkey while going to Jerusalem. The same Jesus is about to come and yet my people are still using donkeys to go to the market. This situation must change. We must invest in infrastructure to make sure that these areas are opened up and that our counties harness their potential. The definition of high potential areas must include all areas in this country. In the past, we would not have believed that Turkana is a high potential area. But now that we have oil there, it is considered as a high potential area. Therefore, we need to invest in all parts of the country without discrimination. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}