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{
    "id": 549086,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/549086/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 209,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Njuki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1372,
        "legal_name": "Onesmus Muthomi Njuki",
        "slug": "onesmus-muthomi-njuki"
    },
    "content": "company in Kenya nowadays wants to do big business. The Zakhem International Company got the tender because they qualified to do the job. Institutional memory shows that they already did a good job in 1973. I want to imagine that in 1973, the company did not have the technology that it has today. Of course, it has been evolving in terms of technology and we expect them to do a much better job. Now that they have done a pipeline that has existed for 40 years, we expect them this time to do a pipeline that will exist for more than 100 years. This is because we have improved technology and the client has also evolved in terms of demand. We would not only like to have a pipeline that terminates in Nairobi, but in future, we would like to have a pipeline that terminates in Isiolo, so that the great Constituency of Chuka/Igambang’ombe can also have a pipeline passing through it. Having said that, a pipeline is so critical for a country. At the moment, we are a country that is sitting on a time-bomb as far as the reliance on fuel that depends on road transport is concerned. Today we do not have a functional oil refinery. So, all the oil that is being used in the country comes from overseas. It is ferried by tankers up to Mombasa where we do not have enough storage capacity. Therefore, most of it has to be transported by road to Nairobi and other parts of the country because the pipeline is now dilapidated. You can imagine what would happen if by any chance we had a breakdown in road communication somewhere maybe because of a gridlock. It would mean that the reserves we normally hold in this country for two weeks--- We would grind to a crisis and yet we are a country that loves automobiles from the private cars to the public transport sector. We are so much into using our vehicles. We would be grounded. Therefore, a reliable pipeline is what would be a long-term solution. Look at what is happening in terms of wastage. The business people in the oil industry complain so much. I am in the Departmental Committee on Energy, Communication and Information and I know the kind of complaints we get. They complain that they lose a lot of fuel between Mombasa and Nairobi because the road transport system provides a very fertile ground for dishonest Kenyans who normally siphon fuel from the tankers. Therefore, those business people do not get value for their money. Those are people who contribute to the economy of this country. If you look at the queues we normally have at toll stations and even where we have bridges on Mombasa road, most of the accidents are caused by those oil tankers. We have seen so many tankers overturned and Kenyans want to get a bit of fuel. They do not even learn from the experience of Sachang’wan. Therefore, this is a problem we can get rid of if we have a reliable pipeline system that can deliver quality fuel to Nairobi and beyond. Of course, we cannot forget that our good neighbours Uganda and Rwanda also rely on this pipeline or fuel from Kenya to run their economies. We now have a new baby, South Sudan, who also relies on this pipeline. It is an onus on us to make sure that we have a good transportation system for the fuel so that we can not only grow our economy but also grow the neighbour’s economies. This is because when you are surrounded by neighbours who are capable then your life is made easier. In terms of refinery, it is important to note that currently the refinery that we had, which had controversies and its report came to this House, is not functioning any more. It would do a lot of justice to this country if we could have a functional oil refinery, especially now that we are discovering fuel in Northern Kenya so that we can bring in The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}