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{
"id": 400838,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/400838/?format=api",
"text_counter": 138,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "October 30, 2013 SENATE DEBATES 19 Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "I thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion of the Standing Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation regarding the findings and recommendations of their visit to South Korea. Visits of such kinds are very important. They allow us an opportunity to learn from one another. Choosing to visit South Korea and some other Asian tiger countries that were at par with us at independence is quite encouraging. From the report that was distributed, this is a story that anybody can begin if we chose to. From the report, they talk of an economic miracle, which was deliberate. They also talk of another miracle which they call the hand river miracle. When I read about what happened in Korea, there was a time in the 1970s and 1980s when out of the war, they had with their neigbours in the north, many people became Christians. No wonder they talk about miracles. At one time, because of the collapse of the economy, anybody with long hair was asked to shave it and submit it as a gift. The hair was eventually sold and a lot of money was raised. This was a deliberate and dedicated team of people who wanted to build their broken country to where it is today. The challenge that we have in Kenya is that we are a nation that is excellent in producing reports, this one being one of them. I am not surprised if this one finds its way in the archives of our universities or in the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum where the distinguished Senator for Meru County was once a Minister for a long time. The Koreans called people from the West and learnt and took over from there, sending their young brilliant people from the entire country. Today, in our version, we could send brilliant people from our counties, dedicated to some of the top universities in the world where practical experience is supposed to be learnt. Funding was deliberately given to local universities by their Government to support science and technology. If we look at the money that was given to our local universities, public universities have been given very little money for research. In the developed world, the level which Korea has reached, even private universities are given money so long as they have a laboratory and the people that can add value. Madam Temporary Speaker, while we are saying that we need to adopt this Motion, it is brilliant, I have no problem supporting the Motion. In South Korea, there was once a Minister as powerful as Kiraitu Murungi. At that time, he was called Hahn. He came up with phenomenal success and it was named after him; the “Hahn Miracle”. It talks about four things which are not peculiar here in Kenya. One is the eagerness of young engineers for new technology. Do we have that type of appetite here in Kenya where we entice our children? Two, is devotion and passion for education. This is mandatory even when you are going to pray at 3.00 a.m. Today, there are people who just walk to class waiting for lecture time to end. Nobody is dedicated yet we want to compare ourselves with other developed countries. Three, is strong political leadership and finally, four, national need for energy security. Madam Temporary Speaker, we have three avenues for our sources of energy. We have hydro, which we have entertained for a long time; at 1,250 megawatts, we have not grown. Secondly, we have geothermal, which is now the in-thing in Kenya. Sen. Murungi will tell you that we have a potential of between 5,000 to 10,000 megawatts asleep at the Rift Valley, and we want to move to the direction which I am supporting, that we bring 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"
}