HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 971452,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/971452/?format=api",
"text_counter": 197,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wambua",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 13199,
"legal_name": "Enoch Kiio Wambua",
"slug": "enoch-kiio-wambua"
},
"content": "The Chairperson was talking about the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). There were these tacky projects where the contractor has authority to design, look for finances and construct the road, it is a model we need to investigate. In it, there is no provision for CSR. It means the contractor will come on site, undertake their project and decide whether to do any CSR project or not. Madam Temporary Speaker, it was absurd when we asked the contractor to give us a report on what activities he has carried out as part of CSR. In the list, you find absurd statements like they delivered water to a police station, fenced a school and they also provided water at some function that was taking place. It would be important going forward that in these kinds of projects, we have inbuilt components for CSR as a percentage of the amount of money that the project will cost. In addition to that, there is the issue of cess. According to this project, the contractor was not compelled to pay cess for local materials like sand, water and ballast. However, the question to ask ourselves as the Senate is: when the contractor was doing the Bill of Quantities (BQ) for this project, did he cost the local material? There was cost for sand, water and ballast, but he did not pay for it. However, when it came to payment of cess to county governments, they said they were not under any obligation to pay. That is a matter we need to look into. Madam Temporary Speaker, lastly and most importantly, the construction of the Kibwezi Road all the way to Migwani was to connect that region, make transportation and access to market easier and lastly, to open up that area for business. The cost of is project was Kshs18 billion. From Kibwezi to Migwani is more than 200 kilometres. So, the most absurd thing is that they want to terminate the road only 17 kilometres before they link it with the main Garissa-Mwingi Road, they pulled out. The recommendation of this Committee, as the Chairperson has said, is that if that is what will happen, why build such a nice big international road and terminate it in the middle of nowhere? What is the logic behind this? It is only remaining 17 kilometres to connect it to the main artery linking Garissa and Nairobi. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is the recommendation of this Committee, as the Chairperson has said, that funds be made available for the 17 kilometres to be completed at this time of undertaking this project. What will happen if the contractor is allowed to exit the site before they complete the 17 kilometres, there will be a phase tendering for the 17 kilometres. We will incur expenses for mobilization of equipment to the site for the construction work. Now that the contractor is on site and the project is ongoing, it is the recommendation of this Committee, which is the voice of the people of Kitui County, that the 17 kilometres be tarmacked within this project period. Having said that, I beg to second the Report of the Committee on project inspection and familiarization visit of the Kibwezi-Athi-Mutomo-Kitui Road Project in Kitui County."
}