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{
    "id": 981557,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/981557/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 367,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Molo, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13435,
        "legal_name": "Francis Kuria Kimani",
        "slug": "francis-kuria-kimani"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker for giving me this chance to address this matter that has been raised very well by our honourable colleague. I take this as a constitutional matter. Chapter 14 of the Constitution provides that it is the responsibility of Government to protect its citizens and people against internal and external threats to Kenya’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, its people, their rights, freedoms and property. If a country cannot protect its people from any invasion of their property, then that Government is not fulfilling its mandate as outlined in the Constitution. An even bigger threat is that we have an invasion of locusts in the country. We seem to be saying that we have not been able to deal with it. We tried taking photos, but it did not work. We tried spraying them, but now they are too old. What does that mean for the confidence that Kenyans should have in their Government to protect them? The world is dealing with the Corona Virus from China. Kenyans are saying God forbid that virus makes it to Kenya. If we cannot deal with locusts, if we got something in the magnitude of such a virus, what will happen? Will we be told that we should not worry because we are too old and so we will die from the virus? The most important reason why Kenyans contribute taxes is because the Government is supposed to provide services that people are not able to provide for themselves. The services that the private sector is not able to provide are the major concern of the people. That is one of the basics why people pay their taxes. If we cannot, therefore, protect that, then we do not even have a basis of collecting taxes from Kenyans. One of the biggest items in our budget is recurrent expenses. About 80 per cent of the recurrent expenditure of the Government goes to payment of salaries. I dare say that we have the most qualified professionals in the public service. If you want the best engineers, experts in pest control or whatever field you choose, you will find them in the public service. The fight against the locusts is more of a fight of the cabinet secretaries. Whether it is the former Cabinet Secretary or the current one, every time they speak, you even wonder whether there was any consultation with or advice from a professional before they gave their views. This, therefore, begs the question whether there is engagement with professionals in our ministries."
}