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{
    "id": 54410,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/54410/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 297,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Eng. Gumbo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 24,
        "legal_name": "Nicholas Gumbo",
        "slug": "nicholas-gumbo"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, when a litre of Kerosene costs Kshs92, it is not a laughing matter. When a two kilogramme packet of unga costs more than Kshs100, it is not a laughing matter. When it costs ordinary Kenyans with a monthly earning of less than Kshs4,000 to pay Kshs100 to travel from Kayole to town, it is not a laughing matter. We must address issues that will bring the cost of living down. Otherwise, we as a country are staring implosion in the face and I can tell you that when social implosion happens, none of us is safe. It is as simple as that. As a House, therefore, it is incumbent upon us to talk of ways to make life affordable to the majority of Kenyans who are about 20 million people or more. I have said it before; when on 26th November, 2008, standing up again on a Motion for Adjournment to talk about the prices of basic foodstuffs on the other side of the House, I said it that the only way to guarantee permanent and long lasting safety for all of us who are very privileged in the society is to provide for those of us who are not as equally privileged. That is why when we come here, none of us can say that they are beyond fault. We have all made mistakes. We are in the situation that we are in today primarily because the price of fuel has gone beyond control. These are measures that we know. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Minister will remember that we engaged him in our Committee, through the Chair, on line one expansion between Mombasa and Nairobi, and at the time we engaged him, I told the Minister to his face that some of the admissions that have been made by the engineers - I say it on authority as a registered consulting engineer in this country - that some of the so called engineers were atrocious. I am glad you sent some of them packing. I am glad you fired them. We listened to engineers saying that they undertook a project of Kshs7 billion without drawings and without engineers’ estimates. I told the Minister that these people are a shame to the profession of engineering. The Minister should have taken the next step. This country is crying for economic saboteurs to be taken to court and jailed, and you should have started with that process. Why do we say this? The purpose of line one expansion was to increase efficiency in fuel flow, to increase availability, to stabilize availability and to stabilize the market. These are not matters that we are talking about when thinking about politics because they affect the lives of our people. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also admit as a Kenyan who is concerned that the time has come now for us to look at the capital projects that we are undertaking in this country. Are they all essential? Could we shelve some for the time being? I know the next point that I am going to talk about is controversial but I have to say it. In times such as this, what is the justification for the bloated Cabinet in this country? I am saying this, addressing; what was the purpose of the bloated Cabinet. The purpose was to bring discipline in the Government so that it can work together. I want to address my ODM side of the Cabinet. You are a shame to us as ODM. I want to say it with peace. There is no point in calling the national flag a piece of cloth and you do not have the discipline to resign. With those few remarks, I second."
}