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"id": 864459,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/864459/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Sakaja",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13131,
"legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
"slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
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"content": "The county government erred in operationalizing the Gazette Notice, without putting in place alternative mechanisms to facilitate the public to transit from one terminus to another. There were no proper pedestrian walkways and footpaths. Some of those footpaths were flooded with sewer and have dangerous open manholes with no warning signs. You can imagine what would have happened at night. The street lighting system is non-existent, putting the security of residents in great jeopardy. The distance between different termini was also long, which led to wastage of precious man hours as residents tried to crisscross from one point to another. As it is, we already waste Kshs50 million worth of productive man hours in traffic. The county government should have provided intercity high capacity shuttles to ferry residents. In fact, this situation led me to personally provide 100 buses for pregnant women, the elderly, the sick and disabled throughout the day until the ban was lifted. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in as much as we support and recognise the need to decongest Nairobi CBD, it must be done in a manner that the interest of all stakeholders is taken of, especially those of the common mwananchi. There has to be thorough public participation, proper planning and execution. You cannot implement policies that favour the well-to-do at the expense of the majority who are the ordinary persons, who cannot get any alternative means. In 2013 the Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) and the County of Nairobi invested Kshs400 million. The JICA put in Kshs300 million and the County Government of Nairobi Kshs100 million to do a study on how to streamline public transport system in Nairobi City County under the Integrated Urban Development Plan for Nairobi. The study came up with solid recommendations and plans that are yet to be implemented up to date. I have been asking about this on the Floor of this House repeatedly. In fact, recently when I raised the same question, you corrected me when I said we cannot have a capital of the world where the only thing public about public transport is the passenger. You reminded me that the road also is public. There is need for that transit system. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to request you, under Standing Order 47 (3), to direct the Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation to look further into the progress made in the implementation of these plans. We have the plan, but it is not being implemented, and Kshs400 million was already put in place to develop it. It should also recommend the harmonisation of the different initiatives by the various Government agencies, including the Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NAMATA), the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the County Government of Nairobi, so that, finally, the citizens of Nairobi and the world – because Nairobi is now a global City – can have the desired public transport system that is affordable and efficient, as it used to be. As I conclude, this plan included light rail systems, bus rapid transport and rerouting plans. When I was growing up, if you took a No.42 bus, it would take you from Huruma to the other side of Kibera, without using Nairobi as a termination point to the CBD. For the information of this House, I am still in court seeking the revocation of the Gazette Notice and pursuing a constitutional Petition that will address the Bill of Rights The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}