8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, if the local authorities become obstacles by demanding too much in wayleaves it could to a certain extent deter the provision of electricity to citizens in different parts of the country. It is on that basis that we entered into dialogue with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance to find a solution that does not impede the power company from doing its job and at the same time avoid having these costs being passed on to the consumers.
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8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, we want to deal with arrears that the various councils had charged because the Ministry granted the local authorities the opportunity to levy charges in 2001 through the by-laws mechanism. However, a policy issue that arises now is whether in the provision of certain essential services such as electricity, water or the oil pipeline that traverses through a certain urban centre, we should subject the people in that local authority to those charges yet they are providing a very essential service. So, this is a policy issue that we need to deal with. Whereas the first ...
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8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am not aware that the demolitions were carried out at night, but I am aware that the enforcement notices were issued. Also, for the benefit of this House, I would like to avail the enforcement notices to the hon. Member and, indeed, I table them so that they can see that the necessary process or steps were taken before the demolition took place.
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8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, the information I have is that these houses were actually under construction. They had not been completed and, therefore, to the best of my knowledge, the City Council moved in and acted before they had completed the construction.
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8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, first of all, I want to say that it is common knowledge that the issue of land in most of our urban centres, including Nairobi, has been riddled with a lot of malpractice and corruption where you find that one plot or another would ordinarily have more than one title. This is something that the City Council and, indeed, the Ministry of Land is trying to resolve so that where there are fake titles or the
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8 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Speaker, Sir, the information I have is that these houses were incomplete. So, there was nobody occupying them; they were in the process of being constructed. So, they were brought down before they could be completed and, therefore, under the circumstances, nobody was displaced.
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2 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is no contempt. I would like to apologize on behalf of all the Ministers who are not here. I have a feeling that they may not have got the Order Paper on time.
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2 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this issue cuts both sides because there are also several Members of Parliament who are supposed to ask Questions but they are not here. I, therefore, think it is only fair that this time, your sword cuts both ways. It cannot cut one side and leave the other. The truth is that I was in my office and this Order Paper had not arrived at the office. I did not even know at what stage my Questions were coming until I came here.
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2 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I cannot stop you from enforcing the sanctions but there has to be equity on this question of enforcing sanctions. I am not speaking for the Members but the truth is that there are several of them who have been unable to ask their Questions here, yet they are on the Order Paper. I am only pleading that the Chair, this time, becomes even-handed so that it cuts both ways.
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2 Dec 2009 in National Assembly:
Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I apologise and, propose that this Question be answered on Thursday, so that I can communicate with the Minister for Medical Services.
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