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{
    "id": 776598,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/776598/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 221,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Bunyasi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2511,
        "legal_name": "John Sakwa Bunyasi",
        "slug": "john-sakwa-bunyasi"
    },
    "content": "In the rural areas, particularly with children walking to school, we need to get a clear separation. If possible, a side footpath along the road that will accommodate school children and other pedestrian users, but perhaps not motorbikes in that regard, so that we can have safe roads. The standards should both be safe but should also take note of efficiency in road use. There is no need to have a high-speed highway with bumps every 50 metres such that motorists must slow down. It reduces the amount of traffic you can carry and negates the advantage of spending billions of shillings to make high-class roads when movement is just as slow as on any other road. That needs to be taken care of. I would like to add two more points. There are roads that already exist for which dangers have been identified like the Nakuru Highway. I say this because we, from the Western part of the country, have the highest number of lives lost. Most of them seem to come from western and Nyanza. Responsive and friendly consideration of the issues involved is extremely important to get the roads improved; accept reality and improve the trauma facilities in Nakuru. This has been discussed for a long time. If it happens, there is something you can, at least, do about it, perhaps, in other areas. I want to conclude by raising the issue of the competency of contractors. As these institutions are aligned, hopefully they will choose competent contractors and not those who must be connected to somebody in the public service. It could be in this House, the Executive or somewhere else. They sit on those roads and do nothing for years and years. I have a short road in my constituency which is only 28 kilometres long and was commissioned two years ago. The contractor has only moved about 10 kilometres. If you go on the road, the so-called road engineer is barely literate in any language spoken in this country and he is supposed to be a citizen of this country. He cannot gather information. Clearly, these are sons of aunties and uncles who were contracted to construct those roads. This particular contractor is in charge of a large number of roads in the western part of the country, but his capacity is extremely limited. It is important to mention this because they won the contract openly. They are underperforming because they are protected somewhere. You combine that with the fact that to get a road included in the road programme, you must rise almost to the highest levels of governance in this country. That is a sad affair. We are aiming to get double digit growth of the economy. Double digit growth does not come with patronage. It should follow the path of most impact in the selection of those roads. I support this Bill and the alignment of institutions. I hope this will lead to more efficient and transparent governance; selection of roads and the management of contracts so that the country can realise the benefits so that we get rapid growth in our economy."
}