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{
"id": 884962,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/884962/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kajiado South, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Katoo ole Metito",
"speaker": {
"id": 13239,
"legal_name": "Janet Marania Teyiaa",
"slug": "janet-marania-teyiaa"
},
"content": "the Report from being an inquiry to reporting on the status of the project. As a Committee, on our own motion, and as required by the Standing Orders, we decided to update the House on the progress of this project. It is good to change the title, and wherever the word ‘inquiry’ appears in the Report to “the status of the Kenya-Somalia Border Securitisation Project”. This is because what has been done is a progress Report. It is also good for the House to know that this undertaking was done in September last year by the Committee. So, the status of the project we are reporting on is six months old from September last year. Maybe, a lot of ground has been covered from that time. It is good to note that the Report was tabled on 20th November, 2018. So, this progress Report is six months old. I am sure a lot of ground has been covered within those six months. As we said yesterday, this Motion is not seeking any approval from the House. That is why we brought the amendment. Instead of asking the House to adopt it, we changed it for the House to note. This is because it is for information purposes. We are informing the House that work is being done on the project. It is also good to put the record straight because, in the Report, there was tabulation of money spent on the project. It is good for Members to read that table very well and see that since 2015, that project has been allocated money on an annual basis. There are columns showing how much has been allocated, how much money has been spent, how much money has not been spent and the total amount. The total amount is what was allocated. From 2015 to date, Kshs3.9 billion has been allocated to that project. However, the Report shows very clearly that out of the Kshs3.9 billion allocated, Kshs1.7 billion has been spent. During yesterday’s debate, some Members who had not read the schedule properly misinterpreted it. The media published that misinterpretation in today’s newspapers, especially The Standard . They said that Kshs3.9 billion has been spent. That is not the case. That is what has been allocated, but Kshs1.7 billion has been spent. It is also good to inform the House that the project is divided into three sections: the southern, the northern and the central sections. That is explained clearly in the Report. One section is 165 kilometres; another one is 105 kilometres and the other one is 445 kilometres, bringing the total distance to 700 kilometres. In each section, several works were being done. In some section, it was bush clearing; in another section, it was fencing and in yet another section, it was digging of the trenches. The work that has been done using the Kshs1.7 billion is probably the 13.3 kilometres of the fence that has been completed. On another section of 50 kilometres or so, bush clearing has been done. In another section, several ditches have been dug, and that is part of the whole project. That is how the expenditure has been broken down. Finally, there is a misconception, probably, because of the wording being used – the wall. From a layman’s point of view, including the media, everyone is looking at a wall. From a layman’s point of view, we need to have a brick wall. I think the concept was not understood correctly from the start. They are just using the word “wall” but, in the project, they say it comprises of a fence, concrete bricks, digging of ditches and bush clearing. The whole project is being called “the wall”. However, from the layman’s point of view, a wall is supposed to be constructed using bricks and concrete. That is not the case. Because we will come back to the main Report if the House agrees with the amendments, we will explain even these sections. The section of 445 kilometres, which is the longest, has the smallest budget because of the terrain in that area. You may find a section which covers a short distance, but the terrain occasions a high cost. Therefore, we just want the House to agree with the Committee that this is a progressive report for information purposes. It is not an inquiry. That is why we have brought this 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."
}