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"content": "in different parts of the country to come up with technology and way of construction which will make us use our materials in an effective way, so that we do not have to always go back to gravel every rainy season. Therefore, the trials were done. I am trying to build a case and say that it is not a new thing. Kenyans have done it. It is only that we have a very short memory and we get our priorities wrong. We start a system and instead of building on it like others, we lose it. Trials were done in different parts of this country like in Kiambu, Kisii, Kwale, Lodwar, Narok and Garissa counties. It was established that the soils available in those parts of this country are all suitable for that kind of construction, where we construct gravel roads and seal them using the same gravel, because the difference in cost will not be much. For example, somebody was comparing the cost of that gravel system; not even to a tarmacked road, but to what you call sealing. This is where you do your gravel, put bitumen and two layers of crashed aggregates or chippings. The cost difference is that the gravel seal will be about 40 per cent of the standard seal, which is not anything stronger than this. This can easily be done. We do not get the aggregates everywhere, but you can get gravel and use whatever you get. Basically, we have the skills and the technology. However, when I checked with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, the furthest they have gone is that they have come up a document they called “Pavement Design Guidelines for Low Volume Seal Roads.” What they did was just to reduce the traffic classification so that you can do some light pavements for low volumes. That does not change the technology; we will still have the same problem. Therefore, Madam Temporary Speaker, yes, we have that requirement. However, the relevant department or the materials branch – the roads authorities –have not been taking it up upon themselves and, as a result, the governors of these counties have been shopping all around the world, looking for appropriate technology. The former Governor of Meru County, Hon. Munya, had to go to Malaysia to come up with a system called Probase; which, in essence is just improving the existing material and making it stronger by adding some chemicals. These chemicals will then prevent it from being affected by water and the loss of strength because of plasticity. However, they did not go far because they required the necessary support. If the Ministry did not give them the necessary support and the governors themselves were not doing anything, then they were not doing any service to this country. I know that in Maralal Town, there is a section within the town which was done using the Probase System. The governors are going out of their way to see what they can do. Therefore, mine is to ask and to urge the State Department of Infrastructure to make sure that they make use of existing technology, because it is there and it has been tried. Madam Temporary Speaker, Botswana is an example for this continent in many things, for example, in development and in fighting corruption, because it is a corrupt- free country. Their road sector borrowed from the Norwegian system, where the Norwegian Road Research Laboratory has worked with the Government of Botswana since 1975. Botswana has the problem of being a desert and, therefore, it has only one type of road construction material called Calcrete, which is problematic. Where it is 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."
}