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{
    "id": 397744,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/397744/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 27,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "September 25, 2013 SENATE DEBATES 9 Sen. (Dr.) Kuti",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion which I stand to support. The issue of ICT and moreso, the fibre optic is the fastest way that our country can realise Vision 2030. If we do not pay a lot of attention to ICT and especially the expansion of infrastructure, Vision 2030 will be Vision 3020. Since African countries, including Kenya, are not very good at inventing, but copying what has been invented in another world, I think we better fast-track our copying to the fast lane. The fast lane now is what we are talking about today. In fact, if we fast-track fibre optic, we will be able to develop so fast that we will catch up with countries that were at our level during Independence, but have so far left us behind. We can only catch up with those countries if we embrace fibre optic. While I fully support the laptop project, I was wishing that the Jubilee Government should have taken the issue of fibre optic as its flagship project and then the laptop project be part of this. It would have been much broader because it is an infrastructure that would affected all spheres of life in both urban and rural Kenya. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am saying this because with the arrival of fibre optic, towns like Isiolo and Lodwar that are always considered marginalised will be developed. The fibre optic infrastructure has already been said to be effective in trying to modernize health services, education delivery, banking in rural areas, current affairs where local people would be aware of what is happening in the world because information is power. We would have empowered our rural folks because through this availability of mass information, we would bring our people up to speed in terms of knowing the current issues in every field whether you are an educationist, a doctor, an engineer and so on. In every field you are, you will be up to speed because information will be available to you wherever you are in the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of e-government is only now a reality in Nairobi and a few other cities, but if we expand our infrastructure in fibre optic, and they reach in those far flung districts, we will have e-government whereby the issues of people coming to Nairobi for identity cards, passports, benefits from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) will not arise because there will be connectivity in all those organizations."
}