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{
    "id": 732464,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/732464/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Simiyu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 141,
        "legal_name": "David Eseli Simiyu",
        "slug": "david-eseli"
    },
    "content": "He says he is strengthening independent offices and yet we know very well what has happened to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Auditor-General‘s office. What strengthening of independent offices is he talking about? We heard him talk about more police officers. Kenyans should be informed. Yes, there are more police officers. They have new equipment and the Cabinet Secretary (CS) in charge of them is saying, ―Move and we will shoot you!‖ They are telling us, ―Kenyans be aware, we are creating a police State.‖ That is what they are doing and they want us to clap for that. The President said that he has transferred functions to the county governments. If, indeed, he transferred the functions, what explanation is there that the Ministry of Health now has a bigger budget than the grand coalition Government yet health is a devolved function? That money is going to that managed equipment scandal that is yet to explode, but it will eventually because it is not equipment that treats, it is the people to man that equipment. Again, we ask ourselves at what cost that is going to happen. There is a problem. If we talk about devolution of functions, the other day he was in Mombasa quarrelling with Joho as commissioned ferries. Ferries are supposed to be a devolved function in our Constitution! He has failed to devolve that. So, what is he talking about devolving? The Leader of the Majority Party is saying this is the first Government that did devolution. Well, it is the first Government that came in after devolution. So, who are they comparing with? They want to compare themselves with themselves? That is not right. The issue of expanded civil liberties during uprisings such as terrorism and so on, that is the biggest lie. What expanded civil liberties is he talking about? We have just seen this Parliament legislating with the police surrounding it. Are those civil liberties? We have just seen this Parliament pass the so-called Security Laws (Amendment) Bill which was an abuse of civil liberties. This is the case and yet he can stand here and say he has improved civil liberties. Those are just in his dreams. If you talk about the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), yes, we need it but not at that cost. That thing is so overpriced that by the time that lunatic line is fully operational, we will never recover its cost. They could say that they have been good at implementing most of the things that the grand coalition Government started. For them, the only thing they have implemented is halfway, for example, school laptops. The other anti-corruption move was to stop cheating at exams. That is the only achievement they have done on anti-corruption. Otherwise, they have perfected the art of corruption to the extent that they even use somebody in Mombasa called ―Marwa‖ to ensure that the containers which are staring at everybody showing how money can be misused have been ordered out of that place and hidden so that Kenyans do not know exactly the kind of theft that has gone on in the Ministry of Health and many other Ministries. On the issue of saying we now have an economy that is growing, I would have expected the President to talk about the cost of living. Right now, the cost of flour is too high that many families cannot afford it. The cost of living has shot through the roof and the President never mentioned anything about that. It is the work of the Government to ensure that citizens can put food on the table for their families. Right now, everything has gone beyond manageable levels. They cannot manage anymore and we are still saying the economy has grown. Yes, the economy has grown for those who import---"
}