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{
    "id": 59611,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/59611/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 304,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Musila",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister, Ministry of State for Defence",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 94,
        "legal_name": "David Musila",
        "slug": "david-musila"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Motion. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, from the outset, I want to say that I support the Motion. In supporting it, I want to echo the words of previous speakers who have spoken and urged all of us that we leave aside partisan politics when it comes to passing the laws that are ahead of us. We have many Bills which are coming up and it is only through us not being partisan that we are going to be able to pass them successfully. We must pass them within the period that is required. We must do this because if you ask any Kenyan wherever he is what his hope for the future of this country is, he will rightly or wrongly tell you that his hope is in the new Constitution. We, as elected representatives of the people cannot, therefore, afford to let down those people who elected us. We must do everything possible and pass this legislation within the required period. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to also talk about the high cost of food. Food prices have gone through the roof. Over 60 per cent of Kenyans are living below the poverty line. This translates to about 15 million Kenyans, who by today’s prices of food, are sleeping hungry because they cannot afford a meal in a single day. Therefore, I think the Government is obliged to do something about this. The Government is obliged to put measures to cushion the vulnerable members of the society from the suffering that they are going through. You need just to go to some of the areas in the City, in the slums or even in the rural areas and you will be amazed at how people are surviving. The Government ought to put in place measures like subsidizing the prices of essential foodstuffs like maize meal. I see no reason the Government cannot put in place measures and give coupons to those members of our society who are unable to afford food, so that they are able to access foodstuffs like maize meal, cooking oil and, perhaps, sugar. This way, the Government will be responding to the situation that we are in. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to talk about insecurity in this country. When Mr. Speaker was giving his opening remarks, he decried the level of insecurity in this country. We are not only talking about insecurity in the cities, but there is a lot of insecurity even in the rural areas. The other day I was watching a documentary where women – I believe it was in Samburu – were crying because of cattle rustling. We are talking of Vision 2030 and even devolution where those areas are going to able to govern themselves. How do we expect to achieve the Vision 2030 where people cannot sleep soundly and their property is being looted by cattle rustlers or bandits? The Government must not only address the insecurity in the cities, but also in the rural areas. During the last 14 years in this House, I have been talking about the unfair distribution of resources in this country."
}