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{
"id": 1562202,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562202/?format=api",
"text_counter": 378,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr Davis Chirchir",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Hon. Members of the National Assembly, for inviting me to clarify this long- standing issue that we need to resolve quickly. The Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) is an Appropriation-in-Aid levy that we use to maintain our roads. When withheld, as it is today, through the court ruling, it hurts us in terms of development for the country. More importantly, at a time like this, when we have experienced rains and a number of our roads are impassable. We are withholding Ksh10.5 billion, an amount that could have gone a long way to maintain our roads. Unless we resolve this challenge, we could continue withholding even in 2025/2026, which is not good for the challenged Levy. Allow me to give a brief overview of the situation on the RMLF and where we are today on the amount that is being withheld due to the High Court ruling in Nairobi Case No.HCC HRPET/E423 of 2024, which issued an interim conservatory Order on 19th August 2024, directing the Kenya Roads Board (KRB) to freeze and withhold RMLF funds collected in the year 2024 to the extent of Ksh10,522,211,858, and to be allocated to county governments…, to be withheld - in this context, the whole sentence has to be read. In compliance with the Court Order, to date, the Ministry has withheld that amount of RMLF allocation to Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) and the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) for the Financial Year 2024/2025. The amount withheld today on account of both KeRRA and KURA totals Ksh7,488,061,224; of which, that to KeRRA is Ksh5.37 billion, and that to KURA is Ksh2.51 billion, making a total of Ksh7.89 billion. Of course, it will build up because RMLF is collected monthly, or even twice or three times every month. We collect from every cargo of petroleum product that docks in Mombasa. We have withheld Ksh7.89 billion. As we progress towards the end of the year, we expect to withhold the Ksh10.5 billion, as given in the conservatory order that has been given. The Ministry shall release the withheld funds upon determination of the Petition before the High Court. We have proposed to Hon. Members to walk through an alternative mediation mechanism so that we can unlock this challenge and get this money to work for us. At the moment, we are working for the money. The money is ‘sitting’ there instead of allowing it to work for us, yet we are doing so much work to get it. In the annual public roads programme for the Financial Year 2024, KeRRA had planned to maintain a total of 22,175 kilometres of road network while KURA had planned to maintain a total of 2,990 kilometres through various interventions within the urban towns. Hon. Members, what measures are we truly taking to unlock this challenge and ensure that we do not suspend work? When we received the conservatory court order, KeRRA and KURA were in the process of awarding contracts for roads to contractors who had successfully gone through the bidding process. Because of that order and the need to adhere to the rule of law, we subjected all the road programmes in the constituencies to a multi-year programme to avoid halting work on those roads, even though the available funds were inadequate. We hope to resolve this challenge during the course of the year. We have subjected all the tenders to a multi-year programme. We have awarded the contracts, and the sooner we resolve this impulse, the sooner we will unlock and complete the programmes within the year. If we cannot do so, it would be unfortunate, but it is in the interest of the country at large. As Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport, I have escalated this issue for high-level mediation to ensure that we resolve this challenge and restore our roads to their previous condition. Right now, we are experiencing long rains, which are impacting economic activities because products are not reaching the markets. If I drill down to the specific details, the deficit faced by KeRRA due to lack of funds will significantly affect rural roads. To be more specific, allow me to just read so that it can be a more structured statement. Any deficit that arises from lack of funds will be treated as a The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1562203,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562203/?format=api",
"text_counter": 379,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr Davis Chirchir",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
"speaker": null,
"content": "priority charge in the Financial Year 2025/2026. The KURA will maintain the planned output of 2,990 kilometres for the Financial Year 2024/2025. However, to accommodate the deficit, road works have been contracted as multi-year projects, to be partially financed in the current Financial Year 2024/2025 and Financial Year 2025/2026. I urge the House to embrace mediation seriously and resolve this challenge so that we can spend this money in the current financial year. Additionally, KURA adopted maintenance interventions with a lower scope and scaled-down rehabilitation and periodic maintenance efforts. Therefore, Hon. Members, as I mentioned previously and in various high-level meetings this morning, I recommend that the National Assembly, through a good mediation process, engages with the Council of Governors (CoGs) to resolve the petition out of court. The withholding of the Road Maintenance Fund has a significant negative impact on the condition of our roads, affecting citizens who do not distinguish between county and national roads. The impacts may continue to the next financial year, which we do not wish to happen. It is our prayer as the Ministry, and as we provide high-level leadership, to ensure that mediation is agreed upon as the way forward to quickly resolve this challenge. This will enable the completion of the tendered roads within the current financial year. Efforts are currently being made to resolve the matter. I request that we work on an amicable solution to address this challenge. Hon. Members, Ksh10.5 billion is a lot of money. If we do not resolve this challenge, Ksh10.5 billion for two years would be Ksh21 billion, which is as much as the allocation under the 32 per cent for the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA). The sharing of the Road Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF) revenue is in the ratio of 40 per cent for the Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA), 32 per cent for the KeRRA, and 15 per cent for the"
},
{
"id": 1562204,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562204/?format=api",
"text_counter": 380,
"type": "scene",
"speaker_name": "",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA)."
},
{
"id": 1562205,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562205/?format=api",
"text_counter": 381,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr Davis Chirchir",
"speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Withholding Ksh10.5 billion is significant. We just went through securitisation and raised a bridge funding facility of about Ksh63 billion, which we used to pay most of the contractors, including the wayleaves. All the contractors are going back to work having sorted out 40 per cent of the pending bills, which had accrued for the last five to six years. We need the Ksh10.5 billion, which is significant, to unlock this impasse and get that money working for us through the established RMLF Act, 1993, at such a time when we are experiencing the long rains, so that we can access markets for our products. Easing the movement of people and goods is top of the agenda. I would like to confirm to this Parliament, this afternoon, that I will provide leadership to ensure that this mediation is handled in a way that will yield positive results, so that we can get the money back to where it ought to be, and for it to work for Kenyans. Thank you, Hon. Speaker and Members."
},
{
"id": 1562206,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562206/?format=api",
"text_counter": 382,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Hon. Wamboka."
},
{
"id": 1562207,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562207/?format=api",
"text_counter": 383,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Bumula, DAP-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Wanami Wamboka",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker for inviting the Cabinet Secretary, who is also my friend. Bwana Cabinet Secretary, we already know most of the things you have said. Members have all that information. I have a few questions for you. The court said that you should withhold Ksh10.5 billion from the RMLF. It did not say that you should get it from KeRRA or KURA. The Cabinet Secretary, who is a good friend of mine, has a 10 per cent allocation from the RMLF. The KeNHA receives the biggest chunk. In the spirit of being a good driver of the Ministry, and knowing the impact of the KeRRA roads in this country, why did you not get that Ksh10.5 billion from your allocation and KeNHA’s allocation so that KeRRA funds can continue operating? Cabinet Secretary, you know that we are in the rainy season and KeRRA roads are most affected by the rains. I did not expect you to pass the buck. While you are enjoying, KeRRA is suffering, and KeRRA represents mwananchi wa kawaida hapo chini . I beseech you, in the spirit of devolution and taking resources to the grassroots level, to forfeit Ksh10.5 billion as we wait for mediation."
},
{
"id": 1562208,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562208/?format=api",
"text_counter": 384,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "You are now walking into the hands of the governors. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1562209,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562209/?format=api",
"text_counter": 385,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Bumula, DAP-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Wanami Wamboka",
"speaker": null,
"content": " My point is made."
},
{
"id": 1562210,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562210/?format=api",
"text_counter": 386,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "That is the point they are using to fight you."
},
{
"id": 1562211,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1562211/?format=api",
"text_counter": 387,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Bumula, DAP-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Wanami Wamboka",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Decentralisation of funds."
}
]
}