Hon. Members, Parliament has been involved in various programmes and activities aimed at opening up new opportunities for increased participation in the affairs of the Legislature by parliamentarians and the general public. It is in this line that the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has established a Media Centre that will be used by honourable Members in holding Press conferences and by journalists in filing stories from Parliament. The Media Centre is equipped with computers and internet facilities. It is located next to the library in what used to be the “Press Tent”.

The official opening of the Media Centre will be held tomorrow, Thursday, 7th May, 2009, at 10.30 a.m. at the Parliament Gardens. The ceremony will also include the launch of the first edition of the Kenya Parliament Magazine. All hon. Members are invited to attend this important occasion. Thank you.

Hon. Members, you will all bear witness that both those events, namely, the Media Centre and the Parliament Magazine are state of the art. You will be proud of them.

Hon. Members, the Communication with respect to dress code will be made tomorrow at 2.30 p.m.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to ask the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife the following Question by Private Notice.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I plead to be given more time so that I can bring a substantive answer to this House. So far, I do not have an answer yet.

How much time do you require, Mr. Assistant Minister?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will be ready with the answer by Tuesday next week.

Hon. Kiuna?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the House is aware that this Question is very sensitive and the whole nation is waiting for the outcome of the Task Force on the Mau Complex. We are eagerly waiting for the answer, so that the people of Molo and the surrounding areas can know the outcome.

eaker: Order, Mr. Kiuna! Are you agreeable to Tuesday next week?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Very well. It is so ordered! Tuesday, next week!

asked the Minister for Regional Development Authorities:- (a) what measures he is taking to ensure that Emuhaya District benefits from the second phase of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme, which was approved by the World Bank; and,

(b) what plans the Ministry has to promote fish farming and horticultural programmes in the district.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg the indulgence of the Chair. We just received this Question last evening. I have consulted the Questioner and we have agreed that Tuesday will be an ideal day to answer it. That is because we want to give a comprehensive answer.

Member for Emuhaya? Is that so?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

asked the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security:- (a) why Mr. Lekula Lesudo (P/No.180239), who retired on 19th February, 1980, has not received his retirement benefits; and,

(b) when the payment will be made.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) I am not in a position to establish why Mr. Lekula Lesudo has not been paid his retirement benefits since he retired on 19th February, 1980. (b) Personal files for officers who have retired or left the service are by law destroyed after 15 years and it is possible that records of that officer have suffered that fate since he left the service 29 years ago. Therefore, I am not able to determine whether he got the pension or not.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have records here of Mr. Lesudo when he retired in 1980. He has been communicating to every single office in Embu and in Marsabit about his retirement benefits. I wonder how I have records and the Government does not. I would like the Assistant Minister to look into this issue. That man retired 29 years ago and he did not get a single penny from the Government that he served loyally for many years. If he does not have the records, I will give them to him right now.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the hon. Member because he is the only one who, at the moment, has the records. He has actually availed to me the records. The last correspondence on this matter was in 1980. There have been recent attempts to make inquiries. Since I only received these records this morning, I am constituting a team to work backwards and confirm whether the retired officer received his pension in the 29 years. The documents that I have are not adequate to establish whether the officer collected the pension or not. We will work on other documents through the National Archives---

Order, Mr. Assistant Minister! So, in a nutshell, what are you saying? Are you ready to answer the Question or you are not ready to answer the Question?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am saying that the documents that I have are useful to some extent, but I require more time to go and check with the Government records, which may exist. For example, some of the requirements before---

Order, Mr. Assistant Minister! You will do one of two things. Either, you are ready to answer this Question and we allow you time to do so, or you indicate that you are not ready to do so. We are not going to have half-baked answers!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not have all the information to answer the Question. I did, indeed, request him to give me more time, but he said---

Yes. You are pleading with the House to give you more time!

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Hon. Lekuton!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, since that man is very desperate, I am willing to let the Assistant Minister pursue the issue even further. However, he has said that the records are destroyed after some time. I can definitely allow him to bring the answer to the House, an answer that will include interest on the pension for the 29 years.

Mr. Lesrima, you have until Wednesday next week. Is that fine with you?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I require up to Thursday next week.

It is so ordered! Thursday next week at 2.30 p.m.

That brings us to the end of the Questions on the Order Paper. I now want to proceed and take a Ministerial Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. I received an indication that the Minister is ready. Minister for Finance!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Statement is not ready because the Minister is not here. He was working on it.

Order! That is a bit surprising! Very surprising, indeed, Dr. Oburu! Yesterday, the Chair ordered and directed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance to deliver his Statement tomorrow. But the Minister got in touch with the Clerk of the Kenya National Assembly and indicated that he was ready to deliver that Statement this afternoon, because he considered the matter urgent. So, that is surprising. What is your reaction to that?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Statement was almost ready. I am asking for your indulgence, if you could give us time in the course of today’s Sitting, to deliver it.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Order, Mr. K. Kilonzo! Let me deal with the Assistant Minister for the moment. Mr. Assistant Minister, since the new Standing Orders took effect, as from 3.00 p.m., it will be the Prime Minister’s Time. So, we will not be able to give you another slot if the Minister does not show up in the next five minutes.

Order, hon. Members! Let us give the Minister a little time just to settle down. Mr. Minister, you were on the verge of running out of order. You are going to have to live with some consequences that follow.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise on a point of order to request a Ministerial Statement from the Minister for Agriculture in respect of supply of maize to this country. I would like the Minister in his Statement to indicate why, in spite of the Government allowing millers to import maize and other cereals duty free and the Government spending billions of shillings to import maize, the prices of maize and maize flour continue to skyrocket beyond the means of ordinary Kenyans. I would also like the Minister to indicate what interventions the Government intends to make to mitigate the situation. Lastly, I would like the Minister to also indicate in his Statement what happened to the previous initiative of subsidized unga initiative for the ordinary mwananchi .

Mr. Minister, when will you bring the Statement?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will do it on Thursday next week.

It is so ordered!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise on a point of order to seek a Ministerial Statement from the Minister for Foreign Affairs. I want the Minister to clarify to this House why Kshs140 million is proposed to be used to re-draw the Migingo boundaries while the Government is looking for more money to settle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Secondly, who are the professionals who are engaged to undertake this exercise?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, will you allow me to do so now?

No, we do not have time for it. We have time for the Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance. As you will note from the Order Paper, we are supposed to move to the Prime Minister’s Time not later than 3.00 p.m. so, we are out of time. Will you do it on Wednesday next week?

No, Mr. Speaker, Sir, maybe on Thursday.

Very well! It is ordered that this Statement will come on Thursday next week.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, as the Minister does that next Thursday, I want to remind him that last Session, he undertook to provide a Statement with regard to Mr. Murumba Werunga who was sacked as the Clerk of the PanAfrican Parliament (PAP) under very dubious circumstances. There was an undertaking that we will make a Statement. Could we get it on Thursday?

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Very well! It is so ordered, Thursday next week! Yes, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, once again, I beg the indulgence of the House for coming in a few minutes late but I expected that we would start at 3.00 p.m. That is what I had been informed. I beg to make the following Ministerial Statement on the Supplementary Budget for the year 2008/2009. On 5th May, 2009, Mr. Imanyara sought a Ministerial Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance regarding “what appears to be a monstrous fraud committed, not only to this House but also to the country”. Mr. Imanyara has claimed that the Supplementary Estimates for the Financial Year 2008/2009 contained “discrepancies that reveal fraud.” He alleges that the Estimates have been falsified to the extent that the Supplementary Estimates approved by Parliament have in excess “of Kshs9.2 billion having being either stolen or unaccounted for.” Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to take this early opportunity to put the record straight on the issue raised by Mr. Imanyara and to array the fears of hon. Members, the Kenyan public and the international community. The Kenyan public more so, in particular, because they have religiously been paying taxes to support public development Programmes in this country. It is important for hon. Members to appreciate the purpose of a Supplementary Budget. I say this because reflecting on the allegations made in this House, there is no doubt in my mind that the need for a Supplementary Budget is not as obvious as many of us might wish to believe. A Supplementary Budget only becomes necessary when there are developments that may have taken place or are taking place in the country, that impacts in a significant way on the fundamental assumptions underlying the Budget that was presented to Parliament at the end of the previous financial year. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the new circumstances may evolve in requiring the Government to realign its original Budget in order to create fiscal space and, therefore, accommodate the need for interventions. Any realignment involving either cutting or increasing some expenditure items by the Executive arm of the Government requires, by law, approval of Parliament. Let me, at this juncture, emphasize that it is only the adjustments or proposed changes to the original Budget that the Executive arm of the Government would be

Mr. Speaker, Sir, you would have noticed that the Minister has read a detailed statement which he has not availed to me. Given that we are already in the Prime Minister’s time, may I ask that I make my clarifications tomorrow at 2.30 p.m. after seeing the document he has been reading which he has not had the courtesy of extending to me?

That is only fair. It makes good sense.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. This was not a Question, but a request for a Ministerial Statement, which I have made. I would like you to clarify whether statements are supposed to be availed to hon. Members because that is not the procedure that we have operated on before. So, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like you to clarify.

Let me just countercheck.

Order, hon. Members! Our conduct of business in this House would normally be recorded. The Clerks-at-the -Table who are this afternoon led by the Clerk to the National Assembly confirm that past practice indicate unequivocally that Ministerial Statements are not supplied to Members who seek them in advance. They would normally be delivered and Members are expected to react instantly from the presentation as made.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, if there was intention to make public information available to this House, there would be no need to hide a statement that has been read. Nevertheless, you will have noticed that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance only answered specific item regarding the Ministry of Education. What I gave yesterday and pointed out were a random selection of 20 Ministries arising out of 200 line Items. It has nothing to do with Mr. Imanayara’s advisors. It has everything to do with the way the Budget process is governed in this country. The Ministry of Finance has technocrats who prepare information, which in turn the Minister lays on the Table of the House. The documents laid on the Table of the House---

Order! Mr. Imanyara, just a moment. So that we can move to conclude this matter quickly, how many areas do you find inconsistencies?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are 200 inconsistencies amounting to Kshs9,677,189,511. I have been able to show that the Estimates that were laid on the Table of the House, the figure given is not the figure contained in the Estimates that were approved last week. That is a matter of concern, not only to this House, but to Kenyans that this Minister can come to this House and purport to seek extra funding on the basis of information that is not accurate, given the basis of the estimates that we approved last year---

Order, Imanyara! I just want us to move to conclude this matter, so I am trying to give direction to it. You said there were 200 instances. I would like you to cite out of those 200, ten instances and let the House know where the differences are and what the differences are, so that the Minister has a sample. Then, I would want him to react to that and then we would decide how to go on.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, unlike him, I am missing a copy of the entire 200 items, so that he can see because there is nothing to hide.

Deal with ten items, so that the Minister can react.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will go with the first ten on my list of 200. Vote No. R01, Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Sub- Vote 010, Head 001, Head title: Office of the President, code title: Hospitality supplies. This is found on page four of the Estimates that were approved last year. The Estimates in the list that was tabled in the House by the Minister last week, the approval was for Kshs4,900,000 even though it was Kshs5,600,000. This gives a difference of Kshs700,000. With the second Item, R01, Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, sub-Vote 012, Head 010, Administration Police, Personal Allowances, on page 8, there is a difference of Kshs49, 000. On the Third one, State House---

Could you just state the Ministry and the figures?

State House, a difference of Kshs1 million, State House, Item four, a difference of Kshs91,000, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a difference of Kshs8,604,000, Office of the Vice-President and Ministry of Home Affairs, a difference of Kshs60 million. All these I am making available to him and they are extracted from documents that were laid on the Table of this House. They are not manufactured by hon. Imanyara or any Member of this House. They came from the Minister’s office. We need a clarification on these issues. I still insist that the answer given in the Ministerial Statement does not clarify the issues that I sought. That is why I am asking that I be allowed to look at the HANSARD, not withstanding what the institutional memory of the Clerks in front of you tell you. I can look at what he said tomorrow and respond. So, I can do so, tomorrow at 2.30 p.m. in order to be fair to the issues that have been raised. The business of the Clerk of the House is to facilitate and not to deny an opportunity of the Ministers being held accountable for their actions and to the people of Kenya.

Minister, what is your response to this?

Mr. Speaker, I do not think personally there is need to waste any more time of this House from more important business and I shall state why. Of the total sum alleged by the hon. Imanyara, the only reason I specifically chose to target the Ministry of Education is that out of his allegation of Kshs9.2 billion, Kshs8.25 billion related to this Ministry. Any additional information that Mr. Imanyara may be requiring with regard to details of the remaining amounts is readily available from the Treasury. Mr. Imanyara is more than welcome at any point in time to come and peruse those documents. If, indeed, he has any question that is of substance, he is free to come and report it before this House.

Order, Mr. Imanyara! Mr. Deputy Prime Minister, I just want to take one instance and I want you to indicate whether or not this is accurate. Let us take the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, item on Personal Allowance. Could you kindly confirm if the figure of Kshs868,834,559 is accurately derived from your approved Estimates? Is that accurately derived from your approved Estimates?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, please, do not make me comment on information which I have no idea where he derived it from.

But what I can say is that, and let me give the examples that I used for the Ministry of Education---

Why would you not want to use my example?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is because I only came with the information for the Ministry of Education because that was the substantive amount, to illustrate the point. That is why I am saying on all the other Vote Heads, that information is readily available. I did indicate that out of the Kshs8 billion or so, Mr. Imanyara has stated is missing, if you look at the original vote, the Estimates are Kshs29,646,245,000. In our Supplementary Estimates, that figure has been reduced to Kshs29,234,000,000. If you go into the sub-heads, you will see the figure for House Allowance which is totalling to Kshs16,858,000,000, approximately. This is what has been reduced by approximately Kshs393 million. If you go below that, on Hardship Allowance, you will see that there has been no change to the previous Estimates. If you go to Medical Allowance, you will see that there is a change of Kshs16 billion. Those two are the only ones that are reflected in the Supplementary Estimates. The rest have not been reflected because no changes were made from the amounts that were previously approved by this House.

Order! Order, hon. Members! Order, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance! Do not fault the Speaker from your seat. This is a matter that on the face of it is grave. A figure of anything near Kshs9 billion, let alone Kshs1 billion, is mind boggling. This matter is now in the public domain. Kenyans are entitled to know what the truthful and correct position is. In those circumstances, therefore, I will refer this matter to the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade to inquire into and report to this House on whether or not there are any inconsistencies that, perhaps, indicate that public funds have been misapplied. That is the order of the Chair. I want hon. Members to note. Mr. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, please note, that because this matter is in the public domain, Kenyans are entitled to know. This direction does not in any way encumber the House from proceeding with business on the Supplementary Estimates, not in any way whatsoever.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The issue before this House not only brings to disrepute

Order! Order, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance! As your Speaker and Chair, this afternoon, I have not said that the Kenyan public has been defrauded. I have not said that. I am not about to say that and I will not say so. Mr. Minister, given that your position, as you say, is clear, and you have clarified it, then the Departmental House Finance Committee will merely confirm that as the position. I do not see any harm in that. It merely confirms that as the position. We have no reason to hold finances that are due to Kenyans at ransom merely because the Finance Committee will confirm what the accurate position is. Indeed, Parliament has a duty to hold the Executive to account, including the Minister for Finance. I do not see anything wrong with the direction that I have given. If your position is truthful and accurate, then the direction I have given is innocuous, it does not hurt you. If anything, it will exonerate you. It will prove that you are completely innocent and that your officers are doing their job, as they should for the Kenyan public. Please, accept that direction.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Not on this matter. I have made a ruling on this matter. I am afraid this House must transact business.

On a point of clarification, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

On a direction given by the Speaker? The Speaker does not contribute to debate. Please! Order! Next Order! Order, hon. Members1 We shall now proceed to Prime Minister’s time, which will be on its maiden run.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise on behalf of the hon. Member for Yatta to submit the following Question to the Prime Minister. I have not received a written answer as yet. Why did the Government decide that married couples should not work in various Government Departments or Authorities under the Ministry of Finance?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am sorry if the hon. Member has not received an answer. It is not a fault on my side. I signed an answer. I want, through the hon. Member, to convey thanks to the hon. Member for Yatta for being the first Member to ask a Question.

Hon. Members, we will allow a maximum of three clarifications beginning with Mr. K. Kilonzo.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank the Prime Minister for that comprehensive answer and more so for the directive that, that earlier directive was not the position of the Grand Coalition Government and therefore should be withdrawn. However, Mr. Prime Minister, Kenyans are suffering because of this Grand Coalition Government when you as a Principal and the President are not talking. Directives are being issued and then you come to the Floor of this House to direct that they be withdrawn. How will Kenyans know that this directive has not been agreed upon by part of the Government while this other directive has been agreed upon by the marriage of the Grand Coalition Government?

Mr. Prime Minister, please take notes because we are going to take three more clarifications and you will respond to them and conclude your session.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to also thank the Prime Minster and the Government for withdrawing that very oppressive directive. Indeed, if a couple was

Last clarification, Mr. Mungatana!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to thank the Prime Minister on that directive that he has given. I would like to hear a further clarification from him following the directive. We know that the Ministry of Finance, to a certain extent, exercises some Executive powers, unlike other Ministries. The same applies to the Ministry of Local Government. What I want to know from the Prime Minister is whether we are creating a situation of potential conflict between an Executive directive from the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Prime Minister? If so, what will happen, because we have to move carefully so that the country moves forward in an appropriate manner?

Mr. Prime Minister, you may now respond.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I had reserved the last remark, as the Questioner, as has been the practice of the House. If you allow me, I would want to---

Order, Mr. K. Kilonzo! The practice of the House on Ministerial Statements is well captured in our records. With respect to the Prime Minister’s Time, this is a new introduction in our Standing Orders, so we do not have past practice in relation to that. In arriving at this modus operandi, we examined what other jurisdictions do and we found that other jurisdictions practise, during the Prime Minister’s Time, allow only the Questioner to seek further clarifications directly on the Floor of the House from the Prime Minister. They do not allow other Members to seek clarification. But we believe that in our unique circumstances, it is in the interest of the House and, indeed, the Kenyan public to open up room for clarifications beyond the person seeking the Ministerial Statement. It is for that reason that I indicated that clarifications will be restricted to three, beginning with the hon. Member seeking the Ministerial Statement from the Prime Minister. Indeed, Mr. K. Kilonzo, I did give you the first bite at the cherry. So, you are done. You will have to bear with that.

Proceed, Mr. Prime Minister!

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Do not challenge that direction because I was clear from the beginning.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am happy again to benefit from your wisdom. Just like you have said, this is the first time that we are beginning this. It is maiden. I hope you will allow me to seek my last clarification and it shall not be repeated.

Order, hon. K. Kilonzo! Since this is a new phenomenon and given your earnest plea, I will make that exception so that you seek further clarification. That will be married into your first clarification. It will be as if you sought one clarification. Is that all right? This is going to be the practice henceforth; that an hon. Member seeking a Ministerial Statement from the Prime Minister will seek the first clarification or he will have the first opportunity and there will be two other hon. Members allowed and that will be it. We will close with the response from the Prime Minister.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Not on this matter! Order!

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Order! Order! Order, hon. Nyamweya! At the beginning of this Session of Parliament, I pleaded with hon. Members that we need to concentrate on the core business that we are here about. Can we, please, try and recollect ourselves and just get to that? I know we are covered live and we all want to be seen and heard but, please, you have opportunities even after this. There is a whole Motion to which you can contribute and suggest changes or amendments. You have a lot of room to do that.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Yes, Mr. Nyamweya. What is it?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, much as I regret that I have to say what I have to say, I feel that, somehow, there is an oppressive spirit coming into the House. The point of order I wish to raise does not relate--- This is a new matter and, perhaps, it might be useful to listen to us, if you want to learn. Since you are introducing something new---

Order, Mr. Nyamweya! I am now listening to you. Proceed! Do not lose valuable time.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, as per the Standing Orders and the Constitution, the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ministers are all Ministers in this House. Therefore, if you are going to ask the Prime Minister questions, should it not be on the same basis that they are Ministers answering on behalf of the Government? If we are going to be reduced to not asking questions, are we protecting the Prime Minister from our interrogation? It should be open for us to be able to interrogate him

I appreciate that concern and I will want to give it a little more consideration and give direction.

Although, at face value, quite naturally, the President is not the same as the Vice- President, neither is the Prime Minister the same as a Minister; neither is a Minister the

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am going to be very fast just to marry the clarifications, especially on the issue of directives. I want the Prime Minister to tell this House the following: The directive that was given by the Managing Director of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) on the maize which was contaminated was overruled by another directive given from your office. Which one was from the Coalition Government and which one was from a different Government? That is because it is important for us, as a nation, to know when the Prime Minister or any Minister in this Government is talking as a Minister of the Coalition Government or as a Minister in a factional government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Prime Minister, you may now respond.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. K. Kilonzo first made a very erroneous statement that the Prime Minister and the President are not talking. Indeed, the Prime Minister and the President speak all the time. Even just this morning, we have had a meeting. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member talked about directives being issued left, right and centre. I want to let the hon. Member know that we are not trying to micro-manage the Government. Ministers have the freedom to run their Ministries. It is only when an issue like this comes to light that appropriate consideration is made and decisions are taken. So, the Government is working as one unit. Mr. Speaker, Sir, about the directive he talked about, let me deal with that first and then I am going to make my statement. Hon. Eugene Wamalwa talked about the G10 and, maybe, that we may take advantage of that kind of a situation. I thought the G10 were more concerned with abstinence or boycott domestically, and not at the place of work.

Allow me, Mr. Speaker, Sir, to postpone this for a more substantive question, which was about the retirement age having been raised from 55 to 60 years. Yes, I can confirm that, that is the case. The Cabinet has considered the issue and decided to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60 years. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is a substantive Question which has been asked and I have referred it to the Minister for Public Service to answer substantively. Therefore, I want to plead with the hon. Member to wait for the answer, which will come to this House in due course. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other one was about the retirement benefits not being withdrawn until a certain period of time. Again, all that is going to be part of the comprehensive statement that is going to be made by the Minister for Public Service on that subject. Mr. Speaker, Sir, hon. Mungatana asked whether the Executive powers which are conferred to the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Local Government will conflict with the Executive powers of the President and those of the Prime Minister. The answer is no.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. With a lot of respect to the hon. Prime Minister, there are loud consultations from that corner of the Government. If we could just be given time to listen.

Hon. Members, could you, please, lower the level of your consultations, so that we can hear the Prime Minister?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are dealing with the issue of resettling the few that are still remaining in the IDP camps then we will be complete with Agenda III. We have Agenda IV to deal with. It deals with fundamental reforms; the new Constitution. We have already set up a panel of experts to spearhead the process of this new constitutional review. I am confident that with the co-operation of the House and Kenyans at large, we should be able to give this country a new Constitution in due course.

The other one is to do with land reforms. Land was at the core of the Independence struggle in this country. The people of this country shed blood in order to regain land that had been taken away by colonialists. It has taken a very long time. It has been a long struggle because at Independence, many nationalists were calling for comprehensive land reforms. It has deluded this country for a long time. As I speak, I am happy to report to the House that we have a land use policy document, which is before the Cabinet. Once it is passed by the Cabinet, we shall bring it to this House and I hope we will have it passed.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is unacceptable that many of our people remain landless while others are squatters in their country, 45 years since Independence. This is one issue where I hope we will get the co-operation of hon. Members, so that we can have a new land policy that will make land, which is a factor of production, accessible and available to our people for that purpose.

We are also dealing with the issue of reforms in the police force. Over the last few days, Kenyans had to bury very many people killed in Mathira and Kirinyaga by a gang

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. With due respect to the hon. Prime Minister---

He is Right Hon. Prime Minister!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we are still learning how to put all those words in one sentence. He has given answers to the questions that were put to him. He also said he wanted to make a statement, which he has done. I think it would be important for the Chair to give us guidance on how long these statements will be and the scope. What is the Prime Minister’s Time expected to cover? Is it similar to the statements that were given to us by His Excellency the President during the opening of Parliament? Shall we be listening to these amounts of coverage on various subjects? I thought we would have time to interrogate the Prime Minister on the performance of the Government. If he will take all that time, then it is not worth our sitting in the Chambers for that length of time.

Order! The length of time that the Prime Minister’s Time will take is expressly provided for in the Standing Orders. It is 45 minutes and will remain so unless the Standing Orders are amended. The Prime Minister started at 3.15 p.m., so he is allowed to proceed until 4.00 p.m. He will have done 45 minutes. He is allowed to deliver Statements on any matter pertaining to Government policy or working as he deems appropriate and advisable. We will leave that to his prerogative. However, it is the expectation of the Chair and maybe the House that he will address matters that are topical, current and that Kenyans are concerned about.

With that guidance, Right hon. Prime Minister, please, proceed. You have another seven minutes.

(Mr. Raila

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is it?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I just want to know from the Prime Minister whether the policy issues that he is talking about are issues discussed by the Cabinet or whether they are from his own office?

Mr. Raila

Order! Order, Mr. Prime Minister. I am being informed that, in fact, the Chair has granted leave to Mr. Kazungu for a Ministerial Statement to come from the Minister in charge on the matter of contaminated maize and related issues. So, you may want to wait until your Minister brings his or her Ministerial Statement.

Mr. Raila

Order! Order! Mr. Prime Minister, please, try to conclude.

What is it, Mr. K. Kilonzo?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Prime Minister is misleading this House. He might be in Government, as he purports to be, but he is misleading this House for the simple reason that it was very clear from the KEBS report that the maize consignment was not supposed to be off-loaded. It was actually supposed to be sent back to South Africa. However, he intervened and decided that the maize should be off-loaded. Where was it taken? Who consumed it? Who imported the maize, Mr. Prime Minister?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The hon. Member uttered words, which are not correct. He said that the Prime Minister purports to be Government. The Prime Minister does not purport to be Government. The Prime Minister is Government! Is he right to utter those words? Is it in order?

Order! Order, hon. Members! The Right Hon. Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya. Period! That is what the Constitution says. So, let us not raise issues on this one.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

What is it, Mr. Munya?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, you remember the issue of Leader of Government Business. It was actually a problem of definition of who is Government. Have we now found a definition, so that the Prime Minister now is Government? It is still a constitutional issue!

Order, Mr. Munya! What we have before the House now is the Prime Minister’s Time. As things stand today, there is a Prime Minister who is recognised under the laws of this land. The Chair will not be dragged into any other issues that are not before the House now.

Proceed, Mr. Prime Minister and conclude your Statement!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me inform the hon. Member that my Office does not order nor does it stop maize from being exported. My Office only investigates when complaints are brought to its attention. This aspect falls within the purview of supervision and co-ordination of Government affairs. The argument was that if this maize is unfit for human consumption, South Africans are also human beings and so, why export it instead of destroying it here, rather than incurring costs in shipping it back to South Africa?

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Order, Mr. K. Kilonzo! We have run out of time and the Prime Minister has to conclude this Statement!

But, Mr. Speaker, Sir---

Order, Mr. K. Kilonzo! You must respect the Chair. We cannot turn this House into a baraza! Please, respect the Chair.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, in order to develop a consensus in this House, it is necessary for sobriety to reign when we are dealing with critical national issues. I appeal to the House to be united when we face major challenges aimed at uniting this country. It will not be possible for us to give this country a new Constitution, something that this House is challenged to do, if we do not work in a united manner. It is, therefore, important that sobriety prevails and compromises made. This House should show this country the leadership that is required. If the Tenth Parliament does that, then it will seal its place in the history of our country.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

Hon. Members, that should bring us to the end of Statements. As we move to close this session, I referred the matter pertaining to various figures in the Budget vis-Ă -vis those in the Supplementary Estimates to the Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade to reconcile and file a report in the House but I did not give a time line. Because of the urgency of this matter, and because we must, as a House, deal with the matter pertaining to Supplementary Estimates, I direct that, that Report be filed in the House not later than Tuesday, next week. This is because this Committee will be dealing with just 200 entries that are merely mathematical. We expect that reconciliation to be done expeditiously. There is no reason to delay that reconciliation beyond Tuesday next week. So, that Report must be filed in the House on Tuesday, next week!

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Could I be in order to request you to consider giving a considered ruling on the matter Mr. Nyamweya raised? As is the practice elsewhere during the Prime Minister’s Question Time, we could also refrain from asking questions in writing. This is because part of his duties is co-ordination and supervision of Government Ministries. Hon. Members should ask him questions on the spot during his Time.

Fair enough. I will endeavour to cover that.

Mr. Speaker, Sir, to follow up on what Messrs. Nyamweya and Kenneth have said, I would imagine that after the Right hon. Prime Minister has given his Statement, we would be given an opportunity to, at least, seek clarifications. This is because he is making serious Statements on behalf of the Government. As hon. Members of this House, we would like to interrogate those Statements. For example, on the question of the Leader of the House Business Committee (HBC) that is pending, what is wrong with us seeking a clarification from him so that he can tell us when they will solve this problem because the country cannot continue running in this manner? The Prime Minister has talked about the economy and I would like to say---

Order, Mr. Mungatana!Your point is made and I will consider it even as I prepare that Communication.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Would I be in order to notify the Chair of the Report that Mr. Kazungu and I brought back from our trip to the Westminster and the recommendations---

Order! Order! That is not relevant to the business before the House.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Mine is with regard to your ruling on the matter that has been referred to the Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade. I would like to persuade you on this because you are aware of the Budget Committee of this House. As far as scrutiny of the Supplementary Estimates and, indeed, the entire budgetary allocations are concerned--- We will also look into this matter as this is within our Standing Orders.

That is a legitimate proposal. Indeed, the House has set a precedent on this matter from the Ninth Parliament when the House charged its Committee to inquire into the matter of the Armenian brothers. We constituted a joint committee composed of Members from the Committee on the Administration of Justice and the Committee on Security. The two Committees worked together as a joint Committee. So, the Budget Committee is directed to work jointly with the Departmental Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade to make the Report that must be brought before the House on Tuesday, next week.

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am wondering whether some of the points of order which have been raised are not frivolous and a cheap---

Order, Mr. Twaha! Order!

Hon. Members, the prerogative and, indeed, the discretion to decide what is frivolous and vexatious or what is not, rests with the Speaker. I will not allow hon. Members to usurp that role!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, we need to protect the dignity of this House. All of us took oath here to defend and protect the Constitution. I have never walked on the same side with the Prime Minister, but I do not think it is fair for any Member of this House to say that he is purporting to be in the Government and get away with it. This is a serious issue!

Order, Mr. Twaha! This matter has been covered and, indeed, the Chair has clarified it. I do not want you to persist on that line. Please, refrain from doing so. If anything, you are in breach of the Standing Orders yourself. You are being repetitive. If you are repetitive, you are out of order! Perhaps, because you had reasons not to follow the proceedings earlier on, you will be excused this afternoon.

Next Order!

Who was on the Floor? Hon. J. Kamau is not present!

Proceed, Mr. Munya!

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute on the “Presidential Budget Speech”. The “Presidential Budget Speech” was loaded with a lot of policy issues that this House must address within this Session. But we may be able do so many things as a Government; we may be able to do many roads as a Government---

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Could the Assistant Minister clarify which “Presidential Budget Speech” he is contributing to?

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was talking about the Presidential Speech and I am sure my good friend was speaking tongue-in-cheek. I was saying that this Government has done very well in terms of doing roads, providing water to people and even improving health care. It has done a lot but there is one fundamental issue that may endanger all those things that this Government is doing if that issue is not addressed. The stability of a country is the bedrock for any development and welfare. In fact, the future prosperity of a country depends on its stability. That stability also rests on the rule of law. If the rule of law is not properly observed, then the country slowly losses its stability and will enter into problems like the one we experienced during the elections. It is worrying if you look at the way the rule of law is being chipped away in this country as we go along. You will find citizens being killed by gangs and the police are nowhere to take care and enforce the law. Lives are lost and then, other criminals hanging around who see that happening realise that they can also do the same and nothing happens to them.

You will find citizens uprooting a railway line, sabotaging an economy and the police supervise them as they commit that crime. It is a very worrying trend that needs to be arrested. The country is slowly developing into lawlessness and despondency. Labour Day where Kenyan leaders are gathered to listen to their workers and to celebrate the contribution of the workers of this country to the economy and to their country, when the Minister is making a speech, you see hooligans throwing stones at him purporting to be protesting. Protest is good; it is important. We have protected it in our Constitution. There is a difference between protest, demonstration and breaking the law. This worrying trend, if it is not arrested, all the gains that we have been talking about, even the entire issue of multiparty democracy that we have fought for, for many years will be endangered. In fact, the entire entity that we call Kenyan will be endangered if the Government does not take the rule of law seriously. I am saying this especially where you see a situation where you have a Coalition Government that is shaky; one that is pulling apart and not working together. In that situation, things even get worse. If only there was stability in the Government, then Kenyans would, at least, have some hope. That is why we are seeing a lot of despondency. People are unhappy across the country because they are not seeing things moving in the direction they are moving.

So, Mr. Speaker, Sir, the most important thing that Kenyans would want to see is the top leaders of this country working together, talking less and doing more. We have a lot of talk! In fact, the Government’s work is not to talk. The work of the Government, once you are in the Executive arm of the Government, it is to execute policy and

Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir, for giving me the opportunity to also contribute on the President’s Address to this august House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to start by saying that the Grand Coalition Government has not done service to this country. It looks more like an Opposition. We need to ensure that the Grand Coalition Government works. I want to take it from where the Prime Minister left when he said that we must make compromises and we must give and take. It is extremely important that this Grand Coalition Government is not seen like one competing for positions of power but rather as a Government which has the interest of this nation at heart. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are many things that we, as a nation and a House, must address. There is the issue of the Constitution, which we must attend to. This House must address urgent issues like that of the Constitution. We have put in place the Committee of Experts which has to look into the Constitution amendment. We must support them. We must stop wrangling and start work as a House and as a Government. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I said, there are many issues that we must address in this country. These issues were covered by the President's Address. One of them is the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). It is a shame that even as I speak at this point in time, we still have IDPs in the country. They are so many and yet we are fighting over power and positions. This must not be seen to be happening. We must address the issues affecting our country. I know I have IDPs in my constituency and they are suffering. We need to address issues affecting this country and our people. These issues must take priority over other issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of IDPs, as I have said, brings shame to this country because more than a year down the line, our people are still languishing in areas where they should not be. We must help them. I want to urge those in power, including Members of Parliament, Ministers and all those who hold positions of power, to ensure that we fight for those basic needs for the society. We must give our people hope. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are many other issues which have been addressed in this House like the issue of insecurity. By now, we must ensure that we have security in this country. Issues of Mungiki, Amachuma and others, must not be there. We must not brand an entire community Mungiki, Chinkororo or whatever. We need to ensure that we have security in this country. Those who go wrong should be arrested and charged as people who commit crimes as opposed to branding them names. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there is also the issue of unemployment. The Kazi Kwa Vijana initiative which was recently launched by the leadership must be a serious programme. We do not want to talk about things which do not happen. Where I come from, the KaziKwa Vijana programme is not there. I wonder whether it is being seen in one part of the country and not others. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of food security in this country is paramount. Almost 50 years since Independence, we are not self sufficient in food. There is no food security in this country. We have a lot of water, some of which kills people in Budalangi. We should harvest this water and make sure we use it for the purpose of food production. We have areas like Ukambani, which have big chunks of land which we should use to ensure

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, first and foremost, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to His Excellency the President’s Address to this House on 21st April, 2009. It was, indeed, a prolific, visionary and encouraging Address to the nation and deserves every support.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this country is being run by a Grand Coalition Government. The fact that it is still holding and we have every confidence that it would hold throughout its term is a reflection of the wise leadership by the two principals. That, despite what we read and hear, there is a lot that is going on to ensure that the Coalition holds and this country benefits from that. It is not an easy arrangement. We should not take a lot of things for granted. It is a challenge that should not just be left to the two principals, but require the input of every Kenyan, whether elected or not.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the most important thing for this country is development. We are talking of development across the country. We are not talking about development in small sectors or sports. His Excellency the President mentioned that we would have a second transport corridor starting from Lamu to Isiolo in the middle of the country and a northward branch starting from Moyale and to Ethiopia and then from Isiolo to Lokichogio, to Juba and beyond. That in itself will open up development for this country. No country can develop without proper, efficient and well co-ordinated transport network. Kenya is a developed country in its right because we have an efficient transport system from Mombasa to Malaba and beyond. What does that mean? If you look at all the developments in the country, in terms of universities, research institutes, secondary schools, quality primary schools, industries and true development in the essence of the word, all that is happening as a result of the railway line that was built over 100 years ago. That is true for every country. Where there is transport system constructed on land, be it road or rail, there is development that emerges or starts and gets sustained by the people for the benefit of the people themselves.

The second corridor that His Excellency the President talked about would, indeed, bring tremendous development in Kenya. It is like developing another Kenya in Kenya. This deserves the support of every one of us. Already, activities are put to realize the construction of Lamu Port, railway line, and road and pipeline linking those nods that I have just mentioned. We shall soon have conferences to sensitize people who live along the corridor that will be constructed. I organized a meeting in Lamu to sensitize Lamu people on the benefits of a second port that would be bigger than Mombasa Port. We will also soon hold a conference to sensitize elected leaders, including local leaders of communities, like myself for the Mijikenda community, so that they are aware of what is coming to them. These are aspects that will open up development, exploration of our land and mineral resources benefiting the whole country, and more so, the people who live along that corridor.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Speech which was delivered in this House during the opening of Third Session of this Parliament. First, and foremost, I want to congratulate the President for giving a very comprehensive Speech on the status of the economy of this country and giving the way forward on how we can tackle a myriad of problems this country is facing. However, as much as I congratulate the President for giving a very comprehensive Speech, I was rather disappointed that he covered very little on reforms, particularly on the constitutional reforms and the Judiciary, among others. This, in my opinion, is a very important matter this House and country must address. I believe that this august House should put more emphasis on the constitutional review so that we deliver a new constitution to this country and we undertake the necessary reforms that will put this country to a straight path and give power to Kenyans. This is an issue that I wish to urge all the politicians across the political divide to come together and solve the problem. If we do not, Kenyans will not forgive us. Kenyans have been yearning for a new constitution for the last 15 years. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the President said that the Government had tackled the issue of IDPs and about 90 per cent of them had been resettled. However, we still have 10 per cent who are languishing in very bad conditions. It is important that the Government gives a very special consideration to this matter. It is really sad that after one year, we still have Kenyans languishing in dilapidated IDP camps where their source of livelihood is questionable and not guaranteed. The issue of climate change is with us. We must agree that the climate has changed and we must come up with measures that will help us tackle the problem of climate change. We must come up with adaptive measures to mitigate climate change. In this regard, it is important that we, as Kenyans, give top priority to the conservation of water towers, particularly the forests. Destruction of forests in this country has contributed significantly to the rapid changes we are seeing in our weather and climatic changes. It is, therefore, important that we address this problem. It is my hope that very

Mr. Lesrima): Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity. To begin with, I want to congratulate the Speaker for his landmark ruling which brought back this country from the brink of collapse. That ruling has allowed us to move forward. I hope that our leaders will stop being in a permanent state of campaign. Kenya’s leadership appears to be permanently in a campaign mood. After one election, we embark on the next campaign almost immediately. We are always looking for a President or the next leader to begin to deliver. We are permanently in that state and we do not seem to be ready to start working or even to continue where we began. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I commend the President’s Speech on a number of issues raised. One of the issues is that of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The issue is very much alive although we say that there has been 90 per cent success. I believe that it is less than that in some areas. What is important is not even the construction of police posts or Administration Police posts but to strive for reconciliation. But you cannot have reconciliation without justice. We need reconciliation between the communities that were affected during the post-election violence. We must also think about “IDPs” in Marsabit and Samburu West Constituency, which is my constituency. We have people living in huge camps which they created on their own to protect themselves from their neighbours arising out of conflicts with regard to fighting over resources like land. This kind of situation should not be allowed to continue in a modern Kenya. We are paying a lot of attention to IDPs in other parts of the country, whereas we should adopt a sense of equity and also get very much concerned about those marginalized communities that live under great fear. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we should also check whether the so called cattle-rustling is still the old traditional cattle-rustling. Modern cattle-rustling has become commercial. The raids are not reciprocated, not mutual or traditional. In fact, these days, successful large scale cattle-rustling requires partnership with conflict entrepreneurs.

Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to speak and support the Motion on the President’s Speech. I have reasons to believe that the President gave us a very moving Speech. He touched on various issues of concern to our nation which, if implemented according to the way he was talking, our country would move forward.

However, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there are issues that have been dogging our people for quite a long time. The education policy was not mentioned in that Speech and yet, the Education Act has not been revised for quite some time. Actually, right now, the Education Act is outdated. There have been bodies, committees and commissions that are running education and yet, they are not catered for in the Education Act. It is time that the education of this country is taken very, very seriously because some of the problems we are encountering are as a result of our education policy. If we do not look at our education polices properly, the country’s youth, who we are preparing for leadership; who we are preparing to take over jobs, will not manage what we want to prepare them for.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the President spoke very well by saying that the Coalition Government is making good progress in managing the challenges that are facing this country. However, looking at the reality, I think the opposite is true because, one day, we see the Coalition partners eating together, posing for photographs and another time, we see the Coalition partners in public rallies complaining and demanding serious consultations and yet, they come to the public and say: “We are consulting.” The message they send to the public is completely opposite of what they want to portray to us when they are working. Like today, we have heard the Prime Minister say that they are consulting and everything is running very well. But in this House, we do not have a Leader of Government Business. This House does not have a Deputy Leader of Government Business because there is a standoff between the Coalition partners! So, to say that we are making progress is a gimmick and I do not understand it! It is time people took action and walked the talk. That is because what they are saying is not true. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also think that the environmental degradation that is taking place in our country--- There is destruction of forests, planting the wrong trees at our water catchment areas and watersheds. Eucalyptus trees are now being planted on water tables like Mt. Kenya. They are drying the streams and springs. We are planting them for hydroelectric power generation. It is ironical because when the rivers dry up, then there will be no hydroelectric power to generate! Therefore, we should

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. The Minister is urging the Government to do certain things. Is it in order, when he is actually part of that Government, for him to come and urge the Government to do the things he has mentioned?

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, when I stood here, I said clearly that I wanted to talk as the Member of Parliament for Butere Constituency. At that time, I was speaking as the Member of Parliament for Butere Constituency. As I stand here, I will continue to speak as the Member of Parliament for Butere Constituency.

That is allowed, as long as you do not contradict yourself. Please, proceed.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, coming to the issue of Kazi kwa Vijana programme, I appreciate that this was a very good initiative, which I supported even in the Cabinet. This is a good initiative through which the Government has committed itself to spend Kshs15 billion. I would agree with the hon. Members who have said that programme must go to the constituencies. This is what I said, and what I will keep on saying, whether I am a Minister or the Member of Parliament for Butere Constituency. With Kshs15 billion, each constituency is likely to get about Kshs75 million. If each constituency gets Kshs75 million, we will employ so many youths, instead of channeling this money through a few Ministries. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, my own Ministry has been allocated Kshs43 million to monitor the implementation of this project. The correct route is to have this money utilized through the constituencies. I will keep on saying so. Coming to Constituencies Development Fund (CDF) projects, I appreciate the fact that the CDF has done very well in this country. As you know, hon. Members, through Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there are some development partners who do not like the CDF. As Members of Parliament, let us assert our authority to make sure

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I would like to contribute to the debate on the Presidential Address. The Address by the President was quite elaborate, very consistent and, particularly focused on Vision 2030. The President expounded, quite consistently, the various arms around Vision 2030 and the biggest projects that the Government has earmarked for financing under the Vision 2030. Even looking at what the Government has achieved so far, particularly since the former NARC Government came to power, and especially in the area of infrastructure, nobody can stand firmly to contradict the achievement that this Government has realized. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if these efforts had been sustained over the immediate past years, there is no doubt that this country would have achieved much more in its development efforts. Nonetheless, it is also true that since the last election in the year 2007, the country has been faced with serious challenges. Of particular concern is the political instability that is evident in the paralysed Government. What we are seeing, even after the formation of the Grand Coalition Government, is that rather than work together, the two arms of the Government are pulling in different directions. Much as they try to make it appear to Kenyans that, that scenario has no impact on development efforts, Kenyans are not convinced. What a paralysed government can achieve is far much less. If the energy that is being wasted through the prevailing rivalry in the Grand Coalition Government could be used wisely, the Government would achieve a lot more in terms of development. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, these challenges are also coming at a time when the challenges to development are becoming even more acute, particularly from the world economic crisis. Looking at the challenges that have affected our country, we have been told, time and again, that the performance of the tourism industry has dramatically gone down; there has been a decline of tourism in the country. Export crops such as tea, coffee and horticulture are also bound to be adversely affected as the export market becomes affected. Even remittances from Kenyans in the

Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. It is always refreshing to have Madam Speaker in the Chair. Sometimes you have to pardon us when we address you as “Mr. Speaker” because we are not yet accustomed to this. I also congratulate you for the live coverage that we have and enjoy in this House. It has really brought fresh impetus to the debate in this House. This is because hon. Members know that they are being heard and watched by their constituents. The challenge my Ministry faces is to make sure that every constituency is covered by television and radio signals. This will enable all constituents to follow their respective Members of Parliament.

Thank you very much Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to contribute in support of this Motion. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I would like to commend the President’s Speech. He expounded the policies the Government will undertake. The President mentioned various challenges which faced this country last year. He mentioned what the

Be brief!

Prof. Olweny! I am requested that you use little time so that you can accommodate your colleagues.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have been trying my luck for the last three sittings. However, thanks for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Presidential Address. When the President addressed this House, he talked about the Migingo issue and said that Kenya was using all kinds of diplomatic efforts to solve the problem between Uganda and us. I am of the opinion that we have been too diplomatic on the matter. If you go to your home and find that someone has kicked out your wife and

Your time is up!

You are denying me my minute! Anyway, I support.

Hon. Members, it is now time for the Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs to respond.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. With your permission, I propose to donate four minutes of my time to the honorable Member for Ndaragwa, hon. Kioni, and another two minutes to the Member for Kangundo. I gather they have been standing for the last four consecutive days without catching Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker’s eye.

Thank you.

Proceed, hon. Kioni!

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I want to thank the Vice-President for giving me that opportunity.

Very quickly, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to say that the Presidential Speech was very comprehensive. It actually covered issues that, if we allow ourselves time in this House, we would have handled, perhaps, almost 40 per cent of the problems that are affecting this country.

But it is crucial, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, that as leaders, we realize that what we have concentrated on in the last one year are statements that are not useful to this country. We are just playing to the galleries permanently whenever we come to make our contributions here. The best that we have done is to show disrespect to our institutions. We have gone on air to insult one another – leaders insulting other leaders – and that is not useful at all! We are not going to achieve all the things that were laid out by the Presidential Speech if we do not show a lot of respect and restraint in whatever it is that we are saying. It is important to know that leaders are not just the Members of Parliament here. Leaders are even those--- For example, we had the opportunity of attending Labour Day and we saw young people throwing stones. Those stones were thrown because the leaders may have encouraged them to be thrown by the many statements that we made that were fairly irresponsible.

So, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is important to know that we cannot take the Floor of this House or any other platform, issue statements that are not useful to this nation and think that anything that was said by the President will be achieved. It is only this morning when somebody stood up and said that this is a Government made up of murderers and robbers! Another person came up and said that the Government has killed! Those statements are not going to help any Kenyans here! We would rather wake

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have only two minutes and I want to contribute to this Presidential Speech. First of all, I want to congratulate the President for the wonderful Speech that he made.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, my heart is very heavy when I hear about Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). A free country like Kenya should not have Kenyans sleeping outside and suffering while leaders are there. We seem not to be acting with the fastest speed possible to settle them. It is my conviction that, unless we settle other Kenyans and make them comfortable, I do not think, truly, we are playing our role as leaders.

The other issue, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, is to do with the drought and famine in this country. Kenyans are suffering. Maize has been lost. Poisonous maize has been brought into the country and we are still talking about eliminating corruption and no one person, ever, has been charged with that offence. The people are known, statements have been issued, we are debating the issues here and things just remain the same.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to encourage the Government, truly, to build dams so that Kenyans can be able to irrigate and produce food. That is because there will be no meaningful development in this country if Kenyans tummies are empty. We have to start by feeding them properly, then we go to education, touch on medication and other things will follow later. Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I beg to support.

Mr. Vice-President?

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. In further exercise of my rights under Standing Order No.74, I would like to donate a further two minutes to the Minister for Special Programs, who has ably lobbied me to speak on IDPs.

Ahsante sana Madamu Naibu Spika wa Muda. Kwanza, ningependa kumshukuru Makamu wa Rais kwa kunipa nafasi hii kwa ukarimu wake. Ahsante sana.

Swala la waliofurushwa makwao, kulingana na Hotuba tuliyopatiwa na Rais Mwai Kibaki wakati wa ufunguzi wa Bunge hili, nina furaha kuwa Serikali imechukua mstari wa mbele. Hata Umoja wa Mataifa umeamini kwamba Serikali ya Kenya imeweza kufanya kazi kiasi fulani mpaka saa hizi.

Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, Serikali imeendelea kutenga pesa za kuwapatia makao mapya wale waliofurushwa makwao wakati kulipokuwa na matatizo. Ninampongeza Rais kwa kulizungumzia jambo hii kwa kirefu sana.

Pili, maswala ya kutegemea mvua ili tuweze kupata chakula; sasa hivi Serikali imechukuwa jukumu na kusema kuwa tuwachane na mambo ya kutegemea mvua kwa

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Please, allow me to thank the more than 40 MPs who have contributed to this Motion dealing with the exposition of public policy contained in His Excellency the President’s Address when he opened the Third Session of the Tenth Parliament.

A lot of contributions have really highlighted the plight of Kenyans who are living as refugees in their own country. I gave you the example the other day of people in Ol Kalou in one little settlement hosting over 17,000 Kenyans living in conditions that are clearly unhygienic. Until we are able to give decent quality life to those among our people who are living as refugees, we cannot, to that extent, claim to be truly doing well.

On the other hand, MPs have really dwelt at length on the question of Kazi kwa

I think it is a wonderful programme that the President and the Prime Minister were able to initiate. I was able to join them on that particular day when we attempted to dig a dam in Kajiado and went to clean the Yatta Canal. But I think this Yatta Farrow is overworked because whatever people want to do, they want to use it. This was put up by Mau Mau freedom fighters, so many years ago. Since then, we have never been able to do one inch of a canal. This is time to be serious about irrigation. Without irrigation, we cannot feed our people for years to come and yet we over rely on rain-fed agriculture. Right now, we are thankful to God that it is raining in the Rift Valley, which is the bread basket.

I can see hon. Kiuna here from Molo. I hope they are busy planting potatoes and food that we can, from my constituency, come and try to buy. We also want to have capacity right across the country where Kenyans can grow their own food through irrigation. Therefore, the important thing is to, really, go for irrigation. I want to suggest that if every Member of Parliament could have an irrigation scheme in his or her own constituency, we would be able to feed our people and get rid of the shame that has become our lot, year in, year out. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I know that the President spoke at length about the effects of the current global financial crisis. The worst is not here with us yet. I think we need to belt up as Kenyans, tell the people the truth – that we are going to face greater challenges, although they are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel, since it was started in the United States of America and parts of Europe.

Hon. Members, that concludes the business on the Order Paper. Therefore, this House stands adjourned until tomorrow, 7th May, 2009, at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 6.30 p.m.