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{
    "id": 532707,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/532707/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 175,
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    "content": "I would like, first of all, to congratulate the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader for moving and seconding this Motion, respectively. I have read the President’s Address and I would like to make one or two comments. The first one is with regard to the economy of the country. The President noted that it is growing robustly and inflation has been maintained at a single digit. I wonder how this economy is growing robustly when we know that Kenya was ranked position 145 out of 187 countries of the United Nations (UN) Human Development Index. As you are aware, this is the index that measures development in terms of life expectancy, education attainment and standards of living. We have been singing here in this Senate for a long time that the Government needs to increase the money allocated to the counties so that we see tangible results and growth of our economy. Yet, to date, as I speak, we are still using the audited accounts of over 3 years ago. This is a matter that gravely concerns us and we need to look at it very seriously. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the President also stated that the exchange is very stable. You are aware that the Kenya Shilling has been weakening drastically in the last three years. As you are aware, if I may give the rating, the Kenya Shilling has weakened to 4.1 per cent of our region’s economy. This means our revenue base will be greatly affected with regard to how our currency has declined, especially in tourism industry. If I may give forex rate figures; in 2013 when the Jubilee Government took over, the exchange rate for a dollar to a shilling was Kshs84.8 and buying at Kshs85.1. This was a mean rate of Kshs85.9 per dollar. Today 30th March, 2015, the shilling is exchanging at Kshs92.1 and selling at Kshs92.5 per dollar. This gives us a mean rate of Kshs92.1 per dollar. I wonder then how the President can turn round and say that the exchange rate is stable. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as we are aware, the President also noted that public debt is sustainable. The National Security Exchange (NSE) has been forecasting that public debt in this country will hit Kshs2.9 trillion by the end of this year from the current Kshs2.5 trillion. I wonder how that debt is being sustained. Finally, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I normally do not agree with the President in many issues, but like Sen. Khaniri, I want to commend him on the fight against corruption. He deserves a pat on his back for taking a very bold step, unlike his predecessors who sat on the fence on the issues of corruption. What the President did was unprecedented because he did not know any other way in which he could have brought this list, except to bring it to Parliament. However, the President is being let down by his officials because the proof of the pudding is in the eating. What has been presented here as the actual evidence is a shoddy report. You cannot bring a report which is only dealing with investigations and call it conclusive. It is a report that should never have even come to the President. This Report should have been given to investigating officers. For example, I note that on the one hand, the President is patting the Cabinet Secretary (CS) in charge of lands that she has done an excellent job in terms of land reforms. On the other hand, I am seeing allegations in this Report against the CS. The other day we saw the President praising her for streamlining the land registries throughout the country. She is now being accused of corruption. I hope this is not a fight in bringing down the strong women of this country. 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."
}