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{
    "id": 800749,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/800749/?format=api",
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    "content": "doctors, we also have to build the ability and capacity of our doctors so that they can meet the demands that we have across the country. I agree that we need to allocate more resources to the health sector. We also need to assist the counties to build their capacity, especially on staffing issues, among others. Madam Temporary Speaker, Sen. (Prof.) Ongeri has discussed the issue of the Kenya Urban Support Project because he has experience on it. Even as we allocate money to ensure that we do infrastructural improvement support programme – for example, floods lights and foot paths that have been done which will reduce pedestrian deaths– counties must ensure that they have clean, organized and decent trading centres and townships. When you walk across any trading centre from Mombasa all the way to Namanga or from my county to Kisumu – where we are claiming seven towns –there is always a centre and a small slum. We hope that with this support programme that will be injecting into our counties, we will see beautiful and organized centres with access to clean water, good roads, street lighting and many other amenities. I know that among the agenda is that there will be gas pools, where people can cook using gas in their homes. This will consequently reduce exploitation of our forests. This is important. In Nairobi this is endemic because of the excuse of the rains. However, I have been told that in my county, roads are not being worked on due to the heavy rainfall. Why should we wait until we have heavy rainfall leading to excess floods and then use it as an excuse? I hope that the money allocated to the Kenya Urban Support Project will ensure we have more good small towns, trading centres or even urban towns with all the basics we have talked about. Finally, I am a great proponent of technical courses. We have to appreciate the fact that the transition rate from Class Eight to Form One is not 100 per cent. It cannot absorb all the class eight candidates. With the support of county governments, we hope to rehabilitate youth polytechnics. They should be the same number as secondary schools so that our children do not end up being boda boda riders. Madam Temporary Speaker, on this transformation that the government is talking about, we need people with technical skills. We need masons and electricians. We have degree holders who cannot fix a bulb. Technical courses are very important. I hope that the rehabilitation of youth polytechnics will greatly assist our young people. As we tell them, “go ye into the world and look for employment or create job opportunities” we must equip them with technical skills. As we struggle to ensure that we have enough resources, I agree with my colleagues that the biggest impediment has been the slow audit of accounts by the National Assembly. We hope that the National Assembly will work hard to ensure that they fastrack on the audited accounts. As we discuss, allocation of more resources, we should do so in light of what the law provides and use the latest audited accounts. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) appeared before our Committee this morning. On the issue of corruption, we told them that they need to fastrack the issue of ensuring that they look into and protect the resources we send to the counties. My worry is that if we do not take care, we might devolve corruption to counties and that will become another huge issue where we might spend more resources fighting. We hope our counties will have prudent use of resources. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}