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{
"id": 802028,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/802028/?format=api",
"text_counter": 85,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Ichung’wah",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 1835,
"legal_name": "Anthony Kimani Ichung'Wah",
"slug": "anthony-kimani-ichungwah"
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"content": "Institute of Social Accountability (TISA), the Kenya Disability Parliamentary Association under the chairmanship of Sen. Isaac Mwaura, the World Vision Kenya, Development Initiatives, International institute for Legislative Affairs, Dagoretti District Land Owners Association as well as Dagoretti Slaughter House Owners Association, Haki Jamii, African Population and Health Research Centre, Path, Oxfam, Institute of Public Finance, Health Rights Advocacy Kenya, National Taxpayers Association and the International Budget Partnership Kenya among others. The submissions received from the public as well as those received from organised groups covered a broad range of concerns from public financial management to infrastructure, mostly roads and energy, education, basic school infrastructure, water, health and other basic social needs. Indeed, the requests from the public were numerous and very critical, but due to limited resources, not all submissions could be accommodated in the 2018/2019 Financial Year. Arising from these submissions during the public hearings, the Committee made the following observations: 1. Timing of public participation: It was observed that the public hearings are held towards the tail end of the Budget process when the macro framework has been finalised and expenditure ceilings broadly agreed upon. As such, it becomes difficult to incorporate major projects from the public hearing into the Budget. You realise that we did our public participation in the month of May. It is our considered view that this ought to come much earlier than in the month of May. 2. Stalled Government projects: The Committee noted that there are numerous Government projects which have taken too long to complete yet they are critical for the economic wellbeing of the country. Examples of such projects include the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI) laboratories in South B, the Civil Servants Housing Scheme in Makueni County, which started in the early 1990s and the construction of footbridges, some that require as little as Kshs6 million, across the country. There was also the Nyayo Ward Hospital in Kariobangi North in Nairobi County; Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Unit, which is still under construction; and Mitihani House that has been under construction for over 35 years. 3. Access to basic social services: In almost all the counties that we visited, there were challenges experienced with regard to access to water for domestic and animal use as well as provision of quality health services. Indeed, many hospitals are not fully equipped and are, therefore, not able to provide the services required. Examples of such hospitals include 41 health centres in Dandora, Embakasi North Constituency; Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital; Mathari Mental Hospital among many others. 4. Poor infrastructure: The Committee observed that in many counties, roads are in poor condition and actually impassable in some areas, particularly after the recent flooding. In some counties, existing bridges have been washed away by floods. Case examples being a few bridges in Tharaka Nithi County and many others in Tana River County. 5. Electricity connectivity: It was noted that there are some challenges with regard to rural electrification. In some areas, there is no power due to lack of transformers. This has made it difficult to implement some health and education programmes and is adversely affecting schools, health facilities and individual households. A case example was in West Pokot where the managed equipment system programme could not be operationalised because the hospital was lacking a transformer in the vicinity The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}