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{
    "id": 41781,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/41781/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "reason, the Government will step up improvement and expansion of the infrastructure network throughout the country while ensuring maintenance of the existing ones. Consequently, I have enhanced the overall Budget for fiscal infrastructure to Kshs221.4 billion in the Financial Year 2011/2012 up from Kshs165.8 billion in the Financial Year 2010/2011. Most of these resources have been allocated towards road, energy and transport development. A decent road network throughout the country is crucial for growth, investment, employment creation and poverty reduction. It facilitates trade and commerce and allows farmers to access markets for their products thereby promoting their welfare. Through this Budget, we continue to improve the general conditions of our highways, urban and rural roads and to initiate new critical road arteries, especially those that connect our country with regional markets. To this end, I have allocated an overall budget of Kshs100.9 billion to the Ministry of Roads up from Kshs90.2 billion in the previous fiscal year. With this allocation, the Ministry of Roads and the relevant road agencies will fast track implementation of these critical roads and allow Kenyans early opportunity to use them. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on investing in energy, reliable and affordable energy is necessary for sustained economic growth and poverty reduction. In view of this the Ministry of Energy has been allocated about two-fold increased budget amounting to Kshs65.7 billion up from Kshs34.9 billion in the Financial Year 2010/11. Of this amount, geothermal development will receive Kshs16.1 billion which will be used to drill and access the viability of producing 140 megawatts. Attention will also be given to the Rural Electrification Programme which will benefit from Kshs5.6 billion to facilitate supply of power from national grid to 450 trading centres and 110 secondary schools among other public facilities countrywide. The expansion of power access to rural areas is one of the initiatives to support rural enterprise development, create employment and improve the living conditions of our people. Meanwhile, the Executive just like Parliament is also concerned about the high cost of imported fuel, especially those costs associated with supply chain constraints around sourcing, discharge, refining, transportation and storage as well as distribution. To this end, under the leadership of His Excellency the President and the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister a task force has been constituted to review and revise the best reform options to address these challenges. We expect the task force also to explore options for long-term and affordable supply sources especially from friendly bilateral partners. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you may be aware that we entered into a bilateral agreement with the Ugandan Government in 2008 to jointly fast track the development of a new Standard Gauge Railway line connecting Mombasa to Kampala with a branch line to Kisumu. The purpose of this project was to reduce the ever increasing cost of transportation within the region, facilitate faster and cheaper movement of freight and passengers and enhance competitiveness, while saving on the newly rehabilitated road network. It now costs about Kshs100,000 to transport a 20 foot container from Mombasa to Nairobi and it takes a whole day. The same container would cost around Kshs40,000 and would be delivered in just about four hours by a modern railway transport system. However, despite making available resources and securing approval of this House, in 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 this important project experienced some procurement-related delays, which we expect will be resolved shortly. I am now"
}