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{
    "id": 515556,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/515556/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 134,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nyenze",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1987,
        "legal_name": "Francis Mwanzia Nyenze (Deceased)",
        "slug": "francis-mwanzia-nyenze"
    },
    "content": "This is because the main role of the National Assembly is to oversight the Executive and also to ensure that this Budget meets the aspirations of Kenyans. Kenya is an agricultural country. This Budget of 2015 has only allocated 2.6 per cent to the agriculture sector and yet we know that it employs more than 50 per cent of Kenyans work force both directly and indirectly. It contributes more than 26 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it is through more allocation to the agriculture sector that this country can grow at double digit. I am urging the Chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, hon. Mutava Musyimi, in the next budget to allocate more money to agriculture. Already he has done a good job but on agriculture, that money is not enough. We want the economy to grow to double digits. Now, the economic growth projections by World Bank and other institutions is that of between 6.5 and 7 per cent if we are lucky. For us to develop fast, more money should be put into agriculture because it employs approximately 80 per cent of the population. The good bit is that the BPS intends to put money in irrigation agriculture. We have seen in areas where there are good rains, the population is so big and we have these small farms which cannot produce adequate food. However, when we do mechanised agriculture like the one that the Jubilee Government promised in Kulalu/Galana in Tana River, these are the projects that can generate good income and we would be secure in food production. In arid and semi-arid areas like the place where I come from in Kitui County, the whole of northen Kenya and some parts of Rift Valley are the only areas where we have a lot of land but with no water. There has been some attempt by the Budget and Appropriations Committee to put money into agriculture, development of big dams and so forth. I want to commend the Budget and Appropriations Committee for that. However, I am appealing to them to increase the allocations in the subsequent budgets for water harvesting, storage, and distribution so that we have enough food and water for domestic and industrial production. The BPS seeks to generate 5,000 megawatts of power before 2017. This would be a good thing. Any country that cannot generate cheap power will be left out."
}