Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 468089,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/468089/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 289,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 170,
        "legal_name": "Bonny Khalwale",
        "slug": "bonny-khalwale"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. The other sensitive issue about this population which was used to arrive at these figures – and I want to beg some of my colleagues from the north eastern part of the country and even Turkana--- We have counties like Mandera and Wajir which, in the population report, they were forced to go to court. Why was that? It is because the Government nullified the population results because they were inconsistent with the reality of the demographic forces that govern population. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is sad that – when we are then informed by this population in Mandera and Wajir – Mandera should get Kshs5.6 billion compared to Bungoma, which gets only Kshs4.9 billion! If we are really Senators of Kenya, we must also do affirmative action to the people of Mandera because of the poverty and do affirmative action to the people of Bungoma because of their large population. The same applies to Vihiga, which has got a paltry Kshs2.5 billion as opposed to Mandera and Wajir, which have got Kshs5.6 billion and Kshs4.7 billion respectively. I want to beg honorable Senators to take time and look at this matrix. This matrix speaks for itself. Madam Temporary Speaker, there is the case of the conditional allocation – money which is assumed to go to promote health services. Kakamega has been given Kshs1.4 billion; Kiambu, Kshs2.6 billion; Nyeri, Kshs3.7 billion; Murang’a, Kshs1.5 billion; Nakuru, Kshs2.6 billion; Kisumu, Kshs1.97 billion and Mombasa, Kshs2.6 billion. The reason I am giving these figures is because I want to expose the mischief that this conditional allocation is attempting to allow people in the Treasury to give money to undeserving counties. Take the example of Nyeri; Nyeri is being given Kshs3.7 billion as a conditional allocation to go, presumably, towards the Provincial General Hospital. I am a doctor of medicine; I know the health infrastructure in this country and there is no way the former Nyeri Provincial General Hospital can be said to be bigger than Mombasa Provincial General Hospital or Russia Hospital in Kisumu. Nyeri should have trailed this! What is more, if the reason why they are giving Kshs3.7 billion to Nyeri is because of the current ongoing construction of the Nyeri Teaching and Referral Hospital, then there should have been total disclosure as to how much money from donor funding is going to this hospital. You cannot favor one hospital as if people only get sick in one corner of the country as opposed to the others! This is why the Senate is there, and I am going to die defending social justice in this country; just like I would die if injustice is being visited on anybody. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to now go to the issue of utilization of these funds when they go to these counties. It is my collective shame, together with my neighbours, Otieno Kajwang, James Orengo, Prof. Anyang’Nyong’o, that governors of Luhya and Luo counties are bringing us great shame. They are the ones who are leading in spending on unhelpful and unnecessary projects. I want to beg them – and I would not be surprised if the Senator of Nakuru says so; because if you behave like that, it means you think that you are rich; they are not rich! They are rich with big stomachs, but they have poverty of ideas! These neighbours and brothers of mine are busy spending on 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."
}