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{
    "id": 39077,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/39077/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 597,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "because we are trying to implement the new Constitution. We are in the process of just trying. So, I would like to plead with you to let the process continue. I think we all understand. I believe that in the substantive Speaker’s original ruling, he said that the fear that the Government would stop if the Minister for Finance did not read the Budget was remedied by Article 222 of the Constitution. I think we all agreed that through that ruling, the Budget was sent to the Budget Committee. I want to plead with the Ministry of Finance that we have some serious issues going on in our country that need urgent remedies. Because of drought I want to plead that monies be disbursed very quickly to the Ministry of Agriculture and approvals be given for the Ministry of Agriculture to allow importation of grain on emergency basis, so that the milling companies can access grain and provide food which I am sure will reduce the concerns of the rising inflation by Mr. Jirongo. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the drought-hit areas, the Government needs to take some measures. Issues of school fees need to be suspended, so that our children stay in school as we try to mitigate the problems of drought and hunger. I want to also urge the Minister that as he considers this issue of maize importation, in the six months which he suggested, he should temporarily zero-rate the importation of maize not at 10 per cent, so that we can begin to feed our people. We need not turn a deaf ear to the issues of hunger in our country. The Government needs to change tact in the issue of relief food. The issue of the Government being involved in distribution of relief food is an issue which is archaic. It needs to take this money and give it directly to our people, so that they have a choice of what to eat. This is because the relief food which goes to somebody in Garissa or Pokot, when you give somebody one gorogoro it is not enough. However, if you give them money they will decide whether they want to eat cassava or potatoes. The reason why the Government is hung up on distributing food is because people are making money on the distribution channel. That ought to happen. I am pleading with the Treasury to make a decision over this issue. This is because half of the money they are giving for relief is going to the pockets of a few in the name of distribution, including some people I know around us. The most important thing is for us to be concerned; are our people getting food? If they can access food, how will they buy the food? Give them money. The same applies to this issue of IDPs. The Government is over-obsessed with this issue of looking for land. There is evidence to show that most of this land which is given to IDPs is being sold by the so-called IDPs. Give them money. Let people chose where they want to go and buy their land. It is easy on the Government. It reduces avenues of corruption. I think when we begin to do that accountability becomes easy. Kenyans are still living in IDP camps since they were evicted from the Mau Forest. Give them money. Let them go and look for land wherever they want. Some people do not want land in the 21st Century. They just want to have a roof over their heads. They may want to come and live in Nairobi. Give them this money. Stop being obsessed with giving them land. I want to say that Kenya is the only country I know where the whole population from a 90 year old to a one day old person is obsessed with owning land. Some of us want to live in towns and not to go and live on land in villages. Let others who can produce live on that land because our land policy is archaic."
}