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{
    "id": 663821,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/663821/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 324,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Kipyegon",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1453,
        "legal_name": "Johana Ngeno Kipyegon",
        "slug": "johana-ngeno-kipyegon"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I also wish to support this Motion. Obviously I would wish to make some comments based on what is allocated to most of the departments and ministries. Like many other Members, I am quite disappointed by some of the allocations of these funds. Looking at some of the departments and ministries, you wonder why we allocate money to them and leave some sectors which are very crucial to the country with a looming cash shortage. I take serious interest in the allocation of Kshs154 billion to the railway transport. We are currently working on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR). Looking at this allocation, you tend to wonder exactly where this money is going. We already have the SGR being built by the Chinese Government. What exactly are we going to do with Kshs154 billion allocated to railway transport? In my opinion, priority should have been given to roads because they concern everybody, including people in the villages. I expected roughly around Kshs56 billion to be allocated to railway transport and the remaining Kshs100 billion going to the roads. There is a tendency in this country to allocate money to roads and other projects, especially on infrastructure, which are then concentrated in certain regions. At the end of the five-year term of each Government, you realise that there are no substantive developmental projects in most areas. The railway does not affect the whole country. People in most remote areas do not even need tarmac roads; they need murram roads so that they can access places. I am disappointed when we concentrate cash on matters which do not seriously affect the country. Health is a devolved function. The only issue under the national Government is policy and maybe the two referral hospitals. The allocation to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) was only Kshs5 billion yet the allocation to the Ministry of Health is Kshs60 billion. I wonder why we make such allocations yet they do not go to the substantive work they are meant for. I also wish to register my disappointment on the allocation to the State Department of Energy and other departments like Defence. In my opinion, I would have wished that we looked at developmental matters so that we do not just allocate money to areas that do not need it. Defence is a very important department in our country, but I cannot remember the last time this country went to war other than what we are doing in Somalia. We took our soldiers to Somalia but it is not a very serious issue. I do not understand why we are allocating over Kshs98 billion to Defence instead of looking at matters of education, water or health. I also wish to take issue with the allocation for education. Education is the backbone of this country. The Ministry of Education is the most fundamental part. The amount of money we allocated to that area, and especially the development of our academics, is a very small amount as compared to other departments which do not matter so much. 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."
}