Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 94383,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/94383/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 218,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Mungatana",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 185,
        "legal_name": "Danson Buya Mungatana",
        "slug": "danson-mungatana"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Vote raises a few questions. So, I want to ask that I just be allowed to ask two questions on the Development Expenditure Estimates. The Minister said very clearly that the foreign policy in Kenya will be an economic foreign policy. What I would like the Minister to clarify to me is this: Why is it that the entire Development Vote, Vote D04, is on issues regarding refurbishment of buildings, purchase of buildings or construction of buildings? How do we bring in money in real terms that way? This means we are investing money in the foreign policy. This Development Vote is where we are saying we are putting money into something from which we expect to give back. The question I want to ask very quickly is: If we are spending all the development on just refurbishment of buildings, purchase of buildings and construction of buildings, what is the foreign policy of Kenya, and where is it reflected in this kind of spending? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to, quickly, jog the memory of the Minister. We debated the CPA Agreement here. There was the IGAD issue and issues about Somalia. Where did that money come from? Did Kenya not have to spend extra money from somewhere? Is that not where we are supposed to put our money, as a country, so as for us to take our position? I thought the Ministry would put money in things like peace building. Where is the budget for that? Kenya should take its rightful position as a Republic. We have been told that Uganda and Tanzania are our biggest trading bloc. I want to seek a clarification from the Minister again, because we are talking about money here; it is not about general debate. What is the justification for us spending Kshs290 million under Sub-Vote 056 for construction in Abuja? I had seen the approved estimate of Kshs300 million, but it was subsequently reduced to Kshs280 million. That is for Abuja. I am looking at Kampala, under Sub-Vote 064, and I am seeing nil allocation for Kampala. What is the justification? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I, again ask the question that is pertinent to this one. Dar-es-Salaam is given only Kshs27,500,000. I want to know why our biggest trading bloc partners are relegated to the back seat in favour of places like Abuja, with which we do very little trade. I also looked at the projections. There is Kshs400 million that is projected for construction or purchase of buildings in Geneva in another four years to come. I do not see that kind of projection for Kampala. How is the Minister prioritising the appropriation of the monies that we are voting for him, in terms of where it should be spent to get maximum returns? I had many questions to ask on the Development Vote. I now want to seek clarifications on the Ministry’s Recurrent Expenditure. Looking at the Recurrent Expenditure Vote, I see allocations to all these diplomatic positions – the headquarters in Addis Ababa, Berlin and Kinshasa. You see a repeated Item called “Purchase of Household Furniture”. The Item is in this year’s Estimates, next year’s Estimates, and it is in projections for four years to come. I want to caution the Minister. Maybe, he can even give us an explanation."
}