Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to ask the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security the following Question by Private Notice. (a) Is the Minister aware of people circulating leaflets ordering members of a certain community to vacate Burnt Forest area in Eldoret owing to their stand in the just concluded referendum on the new Constitution? (b) What steps is the Government taking to ensure that the security of the targeted ethnic community is guaranteed?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I seek the indulgence of the Chair to answer this Question on Tuesday. This is because I received the Question yesterday in the afternoon. If the Chair cannot allow me to answer the Question on Tuesday, I would seek the indulgence of the Chair to allow me to issue a Statement in the afternoon with regard to this issue, because of its importance. In the meantime, I would also want to warn leaders from that area---

Order! You are either answering the Question or you are not! If you are answering the Question, you can proceed and do so! You are not here to give a speech! Answer the Question based on facts! You are asking for the indulgence of the Chair so that you have more time, and so that your facts can stand the scrutiny of the House. This is a Question by Private Notice for which you are supposed to have an answer very fast. Hon. Questioner, are you happy with having a Statement on the same in the afternoon today?

No, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Although he has given an excuse, this Question is very sensitive. I would request the Assistant Minister to hurry up and come and tell the House the measures they will take because right now, there are some people in a certain part of the Rift Valley who are leaving their homes where they had resettled. At the same time, there are some senior politicians who are going round in the Rift Valley threatening some communities and telling them that they are not supposed to be there. So, I would request the Assistant Minister to hurry up and reassure this House and the country at large---

Order, hon. Questioner!

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. As the Assistant Minister prepares to address that issue, could he also in the same Statement raise the issue of what appears to be the selective application of law with regard to hate speech? Could he tell the House how many people have been prosecuted over hate speech during the just concluded referendum and why some senior people have not been prosecuted, despite recommendations by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission?

Given the urgency of the matter and the fact that it does encompass a wide array of issues that you need to cover, the Chair directs that you issue a Statement today, addressing the issue in its totality.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Indeed, I agree with your ruling but on the issue raised by Mr. Imanyara, you all know that prosecution falls under the Ministry for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs and not under the Office of the President.

Indeed, yes. The Chair is informed of the same, but you can say what you want to say on the same on the basis of collective responsibility and the fact that prosecution is the responsibility of the Attorney-General. But initiation of the prosecution is in your docket. It is the police who do the investigations and recommend to the Attorney-General that a matter should be prosecuted. So, you might want to, in the very least, say how much your Ministry has done within its mandate on the same issue.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to say that whatever falls under my docket, I will be able to address it. We normally enforce the law given by the Attorney-General. So, I will be able to give an elaborate Statement.

It is the Attorney-General who prosecutes. But your office essentially does the investigations and recommends prosecution. So, you might want to discharge your responsibility to the extent of how far you have conducted investigations and recommended prosecution. Fair enough. I think this can all be covered in the Statement today. Next Question!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to ask the Minister for Education the following Question by Private Notice. (a) Could the Minister provide the per constituency shortfall of teachers in the country, the respective constituency sizes as well as the respective constituency student populations? (b) Could the Minister also clarify whether the current process of teacher recruitment on contract basis is taking all the factors in (a) above into account? (c) What steps will the Minister take to ensure equity amongst constituencies in the recruitment?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to seek the indulgence of the House to have more time to compile an answer for this Question. As you can see, part (a) of the Question needs information on constituency sizes. We received this Question yesterday in the afternoon. In order to get the constituency sizes, which may mean area and the population, we have to get information from the Interim Independent Electoral Commission. Please, allow us to give an answer on Tuesday afternoon. Thank you.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. While I try to understand the Ministry’s predicament in answering this Question, it is them who said that they will hire teachers per constituency. So, they should have had these facts with them by the time they made that decision.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, secondly, the recruitment exercise of these teachers will be finalised by Tuesday. So, in other words, even if they came to answer this Question, it would have been overtaken by events. So, I fear that this is a move to try to avoid answering the Question all together. Yet, this is very crucial. It is an ongoing exercise. If it happens that the Ministry’s hands were tied in this decision, then they should just come out clearly and say that they are not the decision makers on this particular hiring of teachers, rather than going round and avoiding to answer the Question. I believe they should answer the Question earlier than Tuesday.

Order, hon. Dr. Eseli. This is the last day of the week. It is important that we remind ourselves exactly how Parliament operates. The Order Paper for the afternoon is already out. There is no way there can be another Order Paper again to have this Question on the Order Paper.

In any case, hon. Dr. Eseli, this is an exercise that has been in the public domain for a very long time. It would have incumbent upon you to have asked the Question much earlier. Did you, indeed, ask the Question much earlier? When did you ask the Question?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I filed the Question on Monday at exactly 10.00 a.m.

Under the circumstances, the Chair’s hands are tied in this case. The Chair can only direct that the Question appears on the Order Paper on Tuesday.

Next Question by hon. Mwazo!

asked the Minister for Forestry and Wildlife

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) My Ministry, through the Kenya Wildlife Service, has taken the following steps to address the conflicts experienced in the Tsavo area and Shimba Hills National Reserve. The Tsavo Conservation Management and Coast Conservation management has in response to the conflicts, deployed nine officers and 56 rangers in seven strategic locations, namely; Voi, Taveta, Rombo, Komboyo, Chyulu, Mutomo Station and Shimba Station. These stations are fully equipped with vehicles and other items meant to respond to conflict.

In addition, there are seven outposts with 24 rangers and three vehicles in a number of places, specifically in Kasingau, Bura, Kiboko, Kone, Mackinnon Road, Iltilal, Kinango and Kidogo. These officers are responsible for handling human wildlife conflicts, participating in public barazas to create awareness amongst the communities on the dos and don’ts appertaining to wildlife.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has in addition, developed and is maintaining a conflict data base which has enabled the Service to be able to map out conflict hot spots to predict occurrences for conflict as and when they occur and to be able to deploy officers accordingly. The two conservation areas are fully supported with four light aircrafts stationed at the Park level which undertake daily morning and evening aerial surveys and reconnaissance missions. The Kenya Wildlife Service has also deployed Rapid Response Teams to support the already existing teams on the ground. These teams called the Problem Animal Management Teams were from the months of January periodically deployed in Ndii, Kajire, Kasingau, Rombo, Bura, Kishushe and Voi areas among others, to beef up the existing capacity on the ground.

Community human wildlife conflict resolution committees have also been established in each sub-location of all the districts, especially in the larger Taita Taveta and Kwale areas.

Repair and maintenance of electric fences in Mwalunganje Elephants Sanctuary fence and Shimba Hill fence have greatly reduced conflicts in Shimba Hills National Park and its environs while at Tsavo, various parks’ fence repairs and maintenance ensures that conflicts experienced are minimal. In total, we have been able to erect 133 kilometres long fence along Ndii, Maktau and Umbi - Kasala to Tana River.

Additional fences have been planned for erection to reduce human wildlife conflicts and these include Mackinnon Road to Bachuma Gate which will be approximately 30 kilometres and Ndii to Kishushe fence which will be 75 kilometres long. The erection of these fences has also greatly reduced human wildlife conflict in these areas. Plans are underway to construct them. The KWS has conflict hotlines that are given to the public for reporting of conflict cases. (b) From our records, 28 persons have lost their lives over the conflict from 2006 to 2009. The Government has spent Kshs2 million as compensation for death cases. These monies were paid from ten cases. My Ministry is in the process of facilitating payments for the other 18 remaining cases. No death for conflict has been reported since January, 2010. (c) The draft Wildlife Policy and Bill are awaiting discussion by the relevant Cabinet Committee and subsequent approval by this House.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Assistant Minister for a very comprehensive answer. Could he outline the procedures and criteria the KWS adheres to before paying compensation? What is the reason for not paying 18 cases to date?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in response to that question, normally when an incident is reported, it is dealt with by a district Committee chaired by the District Commissioner. Members of Parliament are also members of this Committee. After the vetting and approval at that level, claims are sent to the Ministry Headquarter where we have a Ministerial approval Committee. As soon as the claim is approved, then it is sent to the exchequer for paying. In regard to the delay of some of the cases, you realize that over the last five or ten years, the allocation which Parliament approved for compensation was way below what was being allocated in our budgets.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I asked for the procedures and criteria. I wanted to be told how long it would take them to settle a claim. For example, from the time I lodge a claim, it will take 18 days. This is the process. I did not ask for explanation. I asked for the process and the procedure for compensation to be paid.

Proceed hon. Assistant Minister and give the timelines.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it can take two weeks, depending on when these incidents are reported and the Committee sits down. The Committees sits on a monthly basis. The payment may delay, depending on the amount that we receive from the Exchequer. I mentioned last week here that we have got sufficient funds, Kshs200 million for compensations. So, all pending claims will be paid on time, so that we are able to deal with new cases that will be coming up.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise an issue with the answer to part “b” of this Question where the hon. Assistant Minister has said that the draft Wildlife Policy is awaiting discussion by the relevant Cabinet committee and subsequent approval by the House. Why does it take very long when the Assistant Minister is aware that the provisions of the current Act are totally unsatisfactory in compensating those who are injured or hurt by wild animals? Why can this Bill not be discussed by the Cabinet and be brought to the House as quickly as possible?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is, indeed, a very good question. The reason for reviewing the Wildlife Bill is that the current Act has weaknesses. Allow me to table a letter to indicate where the process is as of now. This is to confirm what I have said.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Assistant Minister has said that he has an approval of Kshs200 million to meet all pending claims. Could he tell us how many such claims are pending and how soon the Kshs200 million will be distributed to them?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have an outstanding claim of Kshs43,100,000. Now that the House has already approved the Kshs200 million allocated in our Vote for compensation, it will be used to settle the claims and deal with any other claims that will be made in the course of the financial year.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I request the Assistant Minister to come up with a serious policy on human/wildlife conflict to cover all areas and not just particular areas like Tsavo and Voi. The policy should cover areas along the lake. We are inundated with hippos which destroy crops worth millions of shillings along the banks of Lake Victoria.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the policy before the Cabinet is for the whole country. I assure the hon. Member that, that will be taken care of. When the Bill is brought in this House for debate, hon. Members should make sure that all the essential elements they need to be included in the policy are covered.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg your indulgence. One reason for the increase in human/wildlife conflict is the illegal grazing in our national parks. This takes place at night and is allowed by the rangers. Therefore, that enables wild animals like elephants to intrude into settlement areas. What action has the Ministry taken to ensure that there is no illegal grazing and the local communities are not allowed to graze in our national parks? Why does it continue under their watch?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, though that could be a different Question, let me attempt to answer it. National parks are protected areas. We do not allow the grazing of livestock in the national parks. However, if that takes place and the hon. Member has evidence, let him provide us with the details and we will investigate and stop it.

asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government:– (a) whether he could provide a complete list of former employees of Kisumu Municipal Council who either retired or died from the year 2000 but whose pensions or death benefits have not been paid or paid partially, showing dates of retirement/death and amounts owed as at today; (b) who administers the pensions, retirement funds and death benefits for the Kisumu Municipal Council; and, (c) what steps has the Ministry taken to assist and encourage the Council to make these payments without undue delay and to ensure that pension and retirement funds are administered.

Is anyone here from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government? It seems none is present.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Question came up yesterday afternoon and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government asked Mr. Khaniri to request for it to be deferred. I do recall that you ordered that it be deferred to 2.30 p.m. today and not 9.00 a.m. I do not know if the HANSARD will bear me right.

Indeed, that is a matter that will have to be investigated internally. Nonetheless, I defer the Question to Tuesday, afternoon. This is because the Order Paper for this afternoon is already out.

Let us move on to the Question by Mr. Chachu for the second round.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Question was deferred yesterday. Although I do not have a copy of the written answer, I beg to ask Question No.313.

asked the Minister for Water and Irrigation:- (a) whether she could provide a list of boreholes successfully drilled by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in all the 210 constituencies in the last 3 years; (b) whether she is aware that no borehole has been drilled successfully in North- Horr by the Ministry in the last three years; and, (c) what plans the Ministry has to develop water points in North-Horr Constituency.

Is anyone here from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation? None is present.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister is obviously not here and I have not been notified why. May I seek the indulgence of the House that this Question be answered on Tuesday, next week?

Hon. Chachu, are you comfortable with Tuesday, next week?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will be out of the country on Parliamentary business next week. So, the Question has to be deferred until the other week. I demand to be provided with a copy of the written answer.

Fair enough. The Chair directs that the Question appears on the Order Paper on Tuesday, two weeks from today. Madam Deputy Leader of Government Business, the Government has to take the business of this House more serious. I remember the hon. Minister approached the Chair yesterday seeking the indulgence of the Chair for the Question to appear on the Order Paper this morning and that was granted.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I could not agree with you more. We will do our best.

Fair enough.

Let us move on to the next Order!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I requested a Statement during the last Session from the Minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs, regarding a judge of the High Court who has been rejected in, at least, four different stations and is facing similar rejection in Meru. The Minister had promised to issue a Statement. I talked to him yesterday and he said that he will be ready, although I do not know when. Could you direct the Deputy Leader of Government Business to indicate to us when that Statement will be issued?

Hon. Deputy Leader of Government Business, this Statement was expected much earlier.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will find out why that Statement was not issued and insist that it be issued as soon as possible. I think Tuesday, next week, will do.

Fair enough. The Chair directs that the Ministerial Statement be issued on Tuesday, next week. Let us move on to the next Order!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Speaker do now leave the Chair. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Energy is seeking approval of a gross expenditure of Kshs36,356,180,590 this Financial Year, 2010/2011, to meet the Development Expenditure of Kshs34,072,869,390 and Recurrent Expenditure of Kshs2,283,311,200. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as is well known, the mandate of my Ministry is to ensure adequate supply of clean and affordable energy services to Kenyans while at the same time, protecting the environment. There cannot be any development without adequate and affordable energy. Kenya’s ambitions of industrialization as contained in the Vision 2030 cannot be realized unless we tremendously accelerate and expand our access to modern energy services. Vision 2030 is based on a projected growth rate of, at least, 10 per cent per annum. With this projected high growth rate, the demand for electricity is expected to rise to over 10,000 megawatts by the year 2030. My Ministry intends to increase the installed capacity from the current 1,325 megawatts to 3,000 megawatts by the year 2013; that is, within the next three years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also have our ambitious projects of increasing connectivity to cover an additional one million new customers to be connected to electricity during the term of this current Parliament; that is, 2008 – 2012. My Ministry is implementing various policies and projects as set out in Sessional Paper No.4 on Energy and the Energy Act in the electricity subsector, petroleum subsector and renewable energy to meet energy development needs for this country now and in the future. As we implement this mandate, my Ministry continues to face major challenges and these include; chronic power shortages due to inadequate generation capacity, low quality power, frequent outages and blackouts due to inadequate aged and dilapidated electricity transmission and its distribution infrastructure, overreliance on hydropower which has now become unreliable due to climate change factors and unpredictable circles of prolonged droughts, high energy costs due to importation of very expensive high speed diesel powered emergency power plants and world cut upward swings in international petroleum oil prices. We also face our traditional chronic challenge of under-investment in this sector leading to unexploited, underdeveloped and underutilized renewable energy resources such as wind and geothermal. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, to address these challenges, my Ministry continues to implement the following measures: 1. Installation of new and more efficient cost-effective power plants using renewable energy resources. 2. Construction of new high voltage transmission lines. 3. Expansion and upgrading of power distribution network. 4. Installation of new and expansion of existing isolated power stations in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) districts. 5. Installation of solar and mini-wind power generation plants in existing and new isolated power stations in those districts. 6. Installation of solar and where feasible, micro wind turbines at public facilities in ASALs districts. 7. Expansion of our oil and gas exploration activities in all our sedimentary basins. 8. Promotion of wood fuel development activities through our energy centres in different parts of this country. 9. Promotion of commercial production of bio-fuel crops which are not in competition with food crops. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, to put this country on a more sustainable energy future, my Ministry has decided to take a very bold step. This year, we are setting up a nuclear electricity project at a cost of Kshs300 million. Through this project, we shall undertake a feasibility study for nuclear electricity generation, build our nuclear scientific and technical capacity and prepare a roadmap for construction of nuclear electric power plants for this country. Time has come for us to overcome our unfounded fears of nuclear energy. That is why we have decided to take this bold step. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry during the last financial year, performed quite well and has registered several key achievements. Among them, we have retired 230 megawatts of the 290 megawatts of emergency power and, therefore, considerably reducing the price of electricity in this country. We have also constructed 130 megawatts of new permanent capacity, including 90 megawatts of heavy fuel or refined power plants, 35 megawatts of geothermal and five megawatts of wind which have been installed and commissioned through KenGen and Independent Power Producers (IPPs). Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my Ministry has also decided to expand our geothermal power generation. We have signed a power purchase agreement for development of an additional 52 megawatts of geothermal power through an IPP called Power Four to raise the capacity from 48 megawatts to 100 megawatts and we expect it to be completed by October, 2010 after which, construction of this power plant is going to start. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on wind, we are setting up the largest wind power plant in Africa. I think you have read in the Press about the 300 megawatts Turkana Wind Pump Projects in Laisamis District. Negotiations between the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the IPP developer of this project have been concluded and the construction of the project is expected to commence in November, 2010. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, construction of transmission lines has also begun in earnest. During the last financial year, we commissioned two 132 KV lines, namely; the 45 kilometre 132 KV power transmission line from Rabai to Ngalu and the 53 kilometre 132 KV line from Chemosit to Kisii. This year, we are going to commission the Kamburu-Meru 132 KV transmission line sometimes in September. We are about to conclude two contracts for the construction of a Kshs7.8 billion 450 kilometers 400 KV line from Mombasa to Nairobi and another 34 kilometers 132 KV line from Mumias to Rang’ala in western Kenya.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are still continuing with our programme of connecting 1 million new customers to electricity by 2012. We had a programme of connecting 200 customers to electricity every year. But now, we are above target because in the last financial year, we connected 214,408 customers to electricity. Regarding the Rural Electrification Programme, as you are aware, we have projects to connect new customers to electricity in all the 210 constituencies of this country. We are undertaking affirmative action in the marginalized parts of this country. A total of 179 rural electrification projects have been completed, out of which 400 projects have been energized. The balance of 679 projects will be commissioned within the next four months because we are now connecting at a rate of 170 projects per month. I know that Members of Parliament have raised issues regarding the low progress that has been made in energizing the completed projects. We had some problems with transformers but those problems have now been fixed. We are now accelerating the commissioned projects and we are now energizing them at a rate of 170 projects per month. We have said that the answer to high energy costs and the liability of electricity in this country is the exploitation of the enormous geothermal resources within the Rift Valley. During the 2009/2010 Financial Year, 11 geothermal production wells were drilled at Olkaria I and Olkaria IV Geothermal fields, raising the number of wells drilled so far to 27. Contracts have been signed to develop two geothermal power plants of 140 mega watts each during this financial year. With the completion of those projects – there are four projects - we intend to increase geothermal power production to 500 Megawatts. We believe that with those activities, Kenya will see improved delivery of clean energy services at more affordable rates as we go along. Let me now turn to elaborate on specific energy supply and distribution enhancement activities for which I seek approval of Kshs34,072,869,390 on Development activities and Kshs283,311,200 on Recurrent support services during this financial year. Under Head 428 – Headquarter and Administrative Services, we are seeking a sum of Kshs177,084,784. Those funds will be used for the following activities. We will use them to support capacity building for my Ministry, Rural Electrification Authority, Energy Tribunal and the Energy Regulatory Commission. We also intend to meet the costs of local consultants engaged by my Ministry to assist in the management of multi-donor funded energy sector recovery and electricity expansion projects. We also intend to purchase and install wind masts and data loggers for collection of wind data to facilitate the private sector investment in wind power generation. Under Head 429 – Headquarters, Administration and Planning Services, we are seeking Kshs4,000,000. The money will be used to undertake monitoring and evaluation of projects that are under implementation. Under Head 430 – Wood Fuel Resources Development - we are seeking Kshs211,200,000 which we shall use to rehabilitate and preserve catchment areas which provide water for our hydro-power generation. We shall also undertake research, development and demonstration of appropriate wood fuel production technologies, especially in our energy centers. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, under Head 433 – Alternative Energy Technologies - we are seeking a sum of Kshs590,784,500 to undertake various renewable energy activities which will include purchase and installation of wind masts and data loggers for collection of wind data using local resources to facilitate private sector investment in wind power generation. We shall use it also for feasibility studies on small wind power potentials in 14 identified sites. We will also install bio-gas digesters using sewage in institutions of higher learning to supplement their use of grid power, LPG and wood fuel, especially in our schools. Under head 435, the broad Head of National Grid System, we are seeking a sum of Kshs15,644,000,000. The funds will be used to cover the following broad activities. We want to set up a new power generation park at the Coast. We intend to procure a plot at an appropriate show site for the construction of a jetty for landing imported coal and natural gas, and for the establishment of a power generation park, especially in the Kilifi area. We also intend to use part of those funds to undertake studies critical to the preparation of our time bound roadmap for the development of our nuclear power plant by 2017. We are also going to construct two geothermal power plants of 140 Mega Watts each at Olkaria I and Olkaria IV. We are also going to construct a 14 Mega Watts wind farm at the Ngong Hills. Part of the funds will also be used for the construction of several power transmission lines. There will be Mombasa-Nairobi, Rabai-Garsen-Lamu and Kindaruma-Mwingi-Garissa, among others. We are also going to expand and upgrade our power distribution systems to improve the quality and accelerate consumer connectivity under the Rural Electrification Programme. Under Head 436 - Geothermal and Coal Resource Exploration and Development - my Ministry is seeking a sum of Kshs11,622,000,106 for geothermal and coal resource assessment. Those funds will be used for steam production drilling in Olkaria I and IV and procurement of two rigs for Geothermal Development Company (GDC), especially to support geothermal exploration, especially in Menengai. We are also going to use the funds to expand our drilling for coal in Kitui and Mwingi districts and procurement of rough terrain vehicles for those activities. Under Head 444 - Rural Electrification Programme - we are seeking a sum of Kshs5,433,000,000. The money will be used by the Rural Electrification Authority for National and Isolated Networks Expansions to connect new electricity customers in different parts of the country and, in this, we are working very closely with Members of Parliament.

With those few remarks, I am requesting for an approval of a gross expenditure of Kshs36,356,180,590 for this fiscal year for the Ministry to meet the Development and Recurrent Expenditure. I beg to move and ask hon. Oparanya to second the Motion.

Where is hon. Oparanya? Proceed and ask another Minister to second the Motion.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will ask hon. Bifwoli to second.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to second this Vote. This is one of the best performing Ministries and that is why I have volunteered to second its Vote. The truth of the matter is that for the last five years, electricity has been supplied across the country, particularly in Bumula. Almost every village is getting electricity under the Rural Electricity Programme (REP). I want to commend the Minister and ask him to continue in the same spirit. He should not behave like some people who when praised, they stop performing. I am praising him and I expect him to continue performing well.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the Vote of the Ministry of Energy. On the outset, I want to thank the Minister for Energy and his team for the good work they are doing. This is my former Ministry, and I want to thank them for the co-operation they gave me when I was working with them.

In his speech, the Minister gave us what their intentions, as a Ministry, are in order to achieve the goals contained in Vision 2030. This is a vital Ministry in the sense that in order for any activity to take place, it needs energy. The Minister has said that their capacity right now is about 1,300 megawatts, and they intend to increase it to 3,000 megawatts by the year 2013. They have to do that within a short period of three years compared to the period of about 40 years within which we have had about 1,300 megawatts. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister has elaborated that they have to generate power using geothermal, wind and nuclear power. My concern is that the money that has been allocated to the Ministry is not enough. It is good for this House to know that if we achieve the reality of not having power shortages, hence power outages, this Ministry must be given enough funds. The Kshs11 billion given to the GDC for the development of geothermal and coal plants is not enough. The direction in which this country is headed is towards clean energy. We can only get clean energy through the development of geothermal and coal plants.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Kshs11 billion allocated to the Ministry will not help us achieve the 3,000 megawatts that we are talking about. So, this Ministry should be allocated more money in the next financial year.

With regard to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), the Kshs5 billion allocated towards this is not enough because there are many connections going on in the country. That amount should have been enhanced to more than Kshs10 billion so that we can connect 1 million customers. The Minister has said that they managed to connect 214,000 people in the last financial year. We can only achieve that by increasing this funding. My concerns are about the completed projects which the Minister has talked about. About 400 of them have been commissioned and 600 are yet to be commissioned due to lack of transformers. I think there should be co-ordination between the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) and the REA on this front. This is because there are some areas where transformers have been installed but power has not been switched on by the KPLC. So, these projects should be commissioned quickly so that people can be connected with power. Finally, on connection, we have heard that there are many power lines across the country. The rates charged for power connection to shops and other people is about Kshs17,400 and they can pay in instalments. People can afford this because they are doing business. However, my worry in on domestic connections. We should look for ways and means of reducing the Kshs32,000 charged for this connection because not many people in the rural areas can afford this. If the Ministry cannot afford this then the Government should subsidise it so that the fee can be lower than Kshs17,400. The business people can afford the Kshs17,400 they are charged for power connection because they do business.

With those few remarks, I beg to support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Vote of the Ministry of Energy. I congratulate the Minister and his staff for the good work that they are doing in this Republic. I represent a rural constituency and I will speak on behalf of the rural Kenyan. The good work of this Ministry is very visible. This is a Ministry that implements programmes with minimum lobbying from Members of Parliament. Most of our rural institutions, whether primary or secondary schools, health centres, dispensaries or hospitals are today connected with electricity. Our students are studying whenever they want and the doctors and nurses are able to attend to patients even at the heart of the night. In this particular case, I want to really compliment the work of State corporation in charge of this particular programme. The Ministry also conducts a very significant study to identify the rural areas in Kenya that lack electricity. They go far and wide to ensure that as much as possible, they are connected to electricity. When the Minister talked about isolated power stations in ASAL, it is a reality. In my own constituency of North Horr, there are power stations being built. When I walk across the next constituency of Laisamis, I see the same is happening. These are millions of investments in the rural Kenya which were done by this Ministry. I want to commend them for that. Installation of wind turbines in ASAL areas is also a reality. Three secondary schools in my constituency have already been connected to wind turbines and again integrated to the solar energy which they had already installed in the past. All this is done with minimal lobbying from Members of Parliament because the Ministry believes in the work it has been given and its mandate which is to serve Kenyans in terms of connecting the rural Kenya with electricity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to commend the Ministry for investing in the renewable sources of energy, or what we, environmentalists, call soft form of energy. They have also invested in wind power generation particularly in support of the Turkana wind power. I know a lot of good work is happening in the larger Marsabit in terms of doing the feasibility studies to invest in wind power. I think the larger Marsabit has some of the best sources of energy, if they are exploited. I am sure the larger Marsabit will be included in the 14 sites which were identified by the Ministry to pilot wind power generation. I know that even by March, it had been earmarked because it has some of the best sources of wind power. Having said that, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as an environmentalist, I have reservation with the suggestion by the Minister that they intend to invest in nuclear power as a source of energy. Nuclear energy is considered by environmentalists all over the world as dirty source of power. This country is blessed with so many sources of renewable energy from wind to solar to hydro, geothermal, biogas, wood fuel and even coal which is considered by some of us as a dirty source of energy. With all those forms of renewable energy which are ecologically friendly, socially acceptable and economically feasible, I do not see why as a nation we should go so far to invest in nuclear sources of power. Have we done the necessary cost benefit analysis to see the cost of investing in the nuclear sources of power vis à vis investing in all these forms of renewable energy which God has blessed this nation with? Some nations are forced to invest in these dirty forms of energy like nuclear power because they are not endowed by nature with these forms of renewable energy. Fortunately, our nation is endowed with a lot of wind, sunlight, hydro power, geothermal, biogas and even wind fuel. Because of this, I, personally, think our Government should do the necessary cost benefit analysis to see the cost of investing in nuclear vis à vis investing in these other forms of power like renewable source of energy or what we call soft energy. I strongly support this Vote of the Ministry of Energy.

Hon. Members, given the number of Members wishing to contribute and given that we have only ten more minutes allotted, I am going to give two minutes to each so that we can have as many contributors as possible beginning with Mr. Njoroge Baiya.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this chance. I want to thank the Ministry for the good work they are doing especially on connections. It is really a tremendous improvement in terms of connectivity. Nonetheless, there are challenges that have also been mentioned by my colleague. In particular, the Rural Electrification Authority appears to have been restricted to only connecting electricity to secondary schools and urban centres in rural constituencies. This is excluding certain areas from benefiting at all from these allocations. I have in mind my constituency. For instance, we have not been able to utilize a penny of this amount for the last two years although we are being told that we have been fully connected. It is imperative that as we try to connect the rest of the country to the national grid, we also connect areas that need these services. The other issue is about the energy options. I think the Minister needs also to take into consideration the special advantage this country has especially with regard to solar energy. The technologies we are embarking on about nuclear energy and the rest are basically suitable for countries in temperate zones whereas here we are very close to the equator where the solar energy is abundantly available. The main challenge we have is that there is not even a cheap available technology which is accessible to our people so that they can install this solar energy conveniently. The Government should lay stress in making this technology available and affordable to our people. I beg to support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for allowing me an opportunity to support this Vote for the Ministry of Energy. I want to go to a specific area on rural electrification. This Authority is doing a commendable job. They have put electric wires all over the place but they have not supplied our people with power. We want our people in the rural areas to be supplied with electricity. The issue here is that shopping centres are being connected with electricity at Kshs17,000, while the rural consumers are being asked to pay Kshs34,000 before they are connected. These are the rural poor. Therefore, we are asking the Ministry to look for a way of connecting the rural poor with electricity and improve the utilization of the funds we have put into the Rural Electrification Authority. That is affordability by the rural people. Energizing those lines in the rural areas is a problem. It has been mentioned here by my colleagues but I want to re-emphasize it. I beg to support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. First, I want to say I support Vote 30 - Ministry of Energy, very strongly. Many of my colleagues have talked about rural electrification. Again, I want to echo those words by saying that they have done a great job and I want to ask them to continue. There is a little bit of a problem. The previous speaker talked about wires, wires with no electricity. I think we have a lot of projects that are completed by contractors but they are not connected because there are no transformers and so forth. In my constituency, I can count five and if we start the work for this financial year, I am sure they are going to be more. So while congratulating the CEO and his staff, I ask him to expedite the work. The Kenya Power and Lighting Company is also doing a lot of work but I want to fault their emergency system. In this city, you can stay for 24 hours without power even after having contacted emergency service. Only two days ago, I had to get the Managing Director of KPLC to give me power after I had stayed without power for 24 hours even though I was calling the emergency line after every one hour. I am able to reach the MD. He is a very good person, I congratulate him. What about those people who cannot reach the MD? Something needs to be done to address that issue. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk about coal. For the last 13 years, I have been talking about coal in my constituency which remains there unexploited. I am glad the Minister this morning said they are doing something. I hope in the next one month, I can see international tender in the newspapers so that we can have coal in Mui basin exploited. Finally, the price of fuel continues to be very high. The Minister has allowed multi-nationals to milk Kenyans by increasing prices of oil whenever they want when we know it is not the same internationally. I ask the Minister to look into this. I beg to support.

I will give Mr. Ethuro and Mr. ole Metito two minutes each and then the Minister will reply.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to thank the Minister for Energy, Mr. Kiraitu Murungi, his able Assistant Minister and the Permanent Secretary. It is unusual for me in particular to heap praises on people. But I want to confirm that this Ministry has remained faithful to both the mission and vision of ensuring that it is the leader in the provision of quality administrative services in the energy sector. This is particularly on the Rural Electrification Programme (REP). I think in this country each constituency can boast of the enormous work of connectivity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to fault the Minister for Finance. If you look at the Budget Speech, he says, “To secure least cost and clean energy development”. All these are aimed at providing reliable and affordable power to all. While I appreciate that the money has declined, I want to tell the Minister responsible for energy that it is up to them to ensure that we have reliable energy supply. “Affordable and reliable” is what Kenyans are saying. Part of the reason we are not getting affordable energy is because two state Corporations out of the nine the Ministry has--- We still insist that the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) Limited must be a state Corporation and we are giving it money or it is just another profit making entity which should operate within the norms of private entity. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in the mission of administrative purposes, the Minister should ensure solar energy is used particularly in northern Kenya and Turkana. We have health centres, dispensaries and schools. The same should extend to boreholes so that we can generate sufficient power to be able to provide basic services to our people. I support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to also contribute in support of Vote 30 – Ministry of Energy. This is one of the Ministries in which we are seeing a lot of projects being done on the ground. I must thank them for going ahead and taking the constituencies as the principal focus of development. I must also thank the Minister and his able team particularly the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) and KPLC Limited. They are always available for consultation with all the stakeholders on where the projects are supposed to be undertaken on the ground. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, because my colleagues have talked about where electricity needs to be connected, I just want to underscore the need for the economic stimulus projects. We have identified schools, health centres and Jua Kali projects. It would be very prudent if the Ministry would ensure that the projects are connected with electricity. Those projects were undertaken with the objective of spurring economic development. I think energy, particularly electricity will help those projects achieve those objectives. Other means of generating electricity have also been put forward. I want to single out solar energy and wind energy. I beg to support.

Minister, it is your time. If you wish to donate any minutes, you can!

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to donate two minutes to my friend, Mr. Yinda.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to thank the Minister for the time donated. I would like to support the Vote of the Ministry of Energy. The Ministry is doing a good job. I would like to commend the Minister for the good progammes. I would like to join my colleagues in asking the Treasury to make more money available for REA. The work they are doing is commendable but the money they have is barely enough. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to request the Treasury to make more money available for Geothermal Development Authority (GDA). The only way we are going to reduce the cost of electricity in this country is by exploiting resources like geothermal which are free natural resources that we have in this country. My colleagues have already talked about solar energy. We need to put a law in place which will require that all new buildings are fitted with solar panels. We do not have shortage of sun in this country and yet we pay so much for other forms of energy. I would like to request the Minister to ensure that the regulatory authority deals with the fuel dealers. With those few remarks, I beg to support.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to thank the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Energy, Communication and Information for his very detailed and supportive report. I would also like to thank all the hon. Members who have contributed and supported my Ministry and its activities. The Ministry has noted the concerns that have been raised by hon. Members. They are valid and we agree with them. Such concerns as increased shareholding by the Government on KPLC Limited is a matter we have discussed with the departmental committee. The Ministry agrees with them and we are putting in place measures to make sure that the Government shareholding in the KPLC Limited is increased so that as we negotiate all these we are not doing it for private individuals. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also thank hon. Members for supporting our search for more resources especially from the Treasury to undertake our activities especially under the under-funded REP. We will also be seeking more funds and we request Members to support us when the issue comes before the Floor of the House during the Supplementary Estimates which we expect later in the year. We want resources for geothermal resources. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we will sit down with KPLC Limited and the REA after this so that we find a way of speeding up and accelerating the energizing of completed projects. It is true hon. Members have come to my office to say: “You said your success should be judged by the number of poles. We have seen the poles but that is not enough. We have now to judge your success by the number of energized projects”. Therefore, I will sit down with the two authorities so that we can accelerate the energizing of these projects so that we connect more Kenyans. That is the aim. The connection fee of Kshs32, 000 for rural folks seems to be very high. I agree because I also represent a rural constituency and many of the people who come to my house come to borrow money from me to pay to the KPLC Limited to be connected. I have been talking to Mr. Oparanya who says he has been in countries where connection for water, electricity et cetera is free. I want to sit down with the KPLC Limited where we shall invite Mr. Oparanya so that we can find innovative ways that we can considerably reduce connection. If possible we can make it free then build bills as customers pay over a long period of time.

It could be that, instead of the customers taking individual loans, KPLC can assist in a system where a block loan is taken then it is paid over a long period of time.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we are going to extent connectivity to boreholes as Mr. Ethuro has requested. We are going to do that from this financial year. We consider them part of public institutions, especially in ASALs. We are also working with the Ministry of Local Government and Mr. Mudavadi to introduce, during this financial year, new building regulations which will require, especially in urban areas, that all the buildings that require building approval--- The approval should not to be granted unless there is provision for solar energy, especially for water heating. We want that for all the buildings that are coming up.

With those few remarks, allow me to, once again, thank hon. Members and I beg to move.

Mr. Kimunya, it is time for you to initiate debate on your Vote!

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the Speaker do now leave the Chair to enable me to expound the policy regarding my Ministry.

I have had the opportunity to discuss the policy and programmes of the Ministry of Transport with the Departmental Committee, and I wish to take this very early opportunity to thank the Chair and the Committee for the support that they have given in the course of those discussions and, indeed, the interest they have shown in the activities of the Ministry. The Government recognizes the critical enabling role of the transport sector in the rapid and sustained economic development of our country. The sector encompasses a transport system that comprises aviation, roads, rail, maritime, inland waterways and non-motorized transport. The sector has been one of the high key growth areas in the economy and, according to the 2010 Economic Survey, the sector posted Kshs436 billion in 2009 compared to Kshs432 billion in 2008. Its share of GDP contribution in 2009 was about 19.2 per cent. During the current fiscal year, the Ministry will continue to give high priority to the areas that will contribute towards the realization of the Kenya National Vision 2030. The Vision recognizes the sector as an important enabler of the envisaged national transformation.

Our first medium-term plan of the Vision 2030 that falls between the calendar years of 2008 to 2012, targets increased investment in infrastructure such as rail, marine and air transport services among others. I will be getting into that later. The mandate of the Ministry of Transport is to formulate and oversee the implementation of transport policies and develop the appropriate regulatory framework. The Ministry has completed its first Strategic Plan 2005-2010, and is in the process of launching the next one, 2010- 2015, which we will be happy to share with this House. Essentially, the strategic plan of the Ministry has been instrumental in assisting the Ministry accomplish its mission of facilitating safe, efficient, accessible and sustainable transport services. The mission draws the Ministry’s vision of developing all class transportation systems for improved quality of life for our people.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in terms of the way we handle the mandate, the Ministry performs its mandate through the departments and State corporations under its portfolio, and I am glad to inform this House that since the introduction of performance contracts, the departments and corporations have recorded commendable improvements in generating not just profits, but honouring tax obligations, paying dividends to the Treasury and in delivering social goods to our people. Functionally, the Ministry performs the following core functions:- Supervision of the transport policy, supervision of Kenya Railways Corporation, Kenya Railways Training School (RTI), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), Kenya Ferry Services, Kenya National Shipping Line, Kenya National Road Safety Council, Transport Licencing Board, registration and insurance of motor vehicles, Motor Vehicle Inspection Unit, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Maritime Authority, Bandari College, development and maintenance of airstrips and air accident investigations, among others.

The Ministry has been involved in several policy reforms and I will just highlight a few, having shared the details with the Committee and the rest, we will be happy to share with the House. I think the major one of concern is our railway system and hon. Members will recall that the joint concessioning of KR has been on since 2006. The issue I would like to share with the House is that the negotiations that have been ongoing with the restructuring and reorganization of the Rift Valley Railways consortium are yielding fruits and we hope to sign the new enabling framework agreement by next week, after which it will unlock the capital investments that are required, not just on the refurbishment of the tracks, but on the rolling stock.

On regional integration, the Government is keen on strengthening our regional integration through facilitation of the transport networks that are necessary. This is happening in several ways through the northern corridor. It is the corridor from Mombasa linking us to Uganda and beyond. There is also the planned corridor linking Lamu with Sudan. On this, there is a study already ongoing and we hope that over the next six years, we will have completed work along that corridor.

There is also, among the reforms and associated infrastructure, the intentions to develop a free port at Mombasa. It is now taking shape at Dongo Kundu and KPA plans to not only develop that, but a free trade zone at the Port of Mombasa through a public private partnership, details of which we are going to share as and when they become clearer. Let me also inform this House that the Government policy is to eventually transform the Port of Mombasa into a landlord port with KPA basically becoming the landlord. We have developed strategic roadmaps to facilitate the realization of that objective. In the longer term, it is envisaged that all the commercial functions of the Port will be performed by the private sector, while the residual KPA will own and maintain the entire port infrastructure and facilities, perform the concession management, strategic planning, safety environmental protection, the marketing and the regulatory functions. This is in tandem with what is happening within the rest of the world.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry is also involved in the development of a rapid bus transport system. There is already a consultant on the ground looking at this and part of the monies we will be asking for is to facilitate that. That is something that we will be working together with the other Ministries of Local Government, Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development and stakeholders in that industry. Associated with this is also a light train system for passengers, with the first arm of that being a track from the City Centre to Embakasi Airport, which we hope to complete within this financial year. Hon. Members will be able to enjoy a 12 minutes ride from the City Centre to the Airport thus avoiding the jam. Thereafter, within the next five years or so, we should have developed enough capacity to off-take most of the passengers from the matatus and busses onto a reliable transport system.

Within the ongoing projects and programmes some of which will be in the financing, is our ongoing road safety campaign. I was privileged yesterday to have started some very innovative road safety campaign in conjunction with one of the fuel suppliers and resallers in the country. We will continue engaging the private sector and, other stakeholders not just in the multimedia public awareness campaigns but also in the actual enforcement of all those regulations. I do hope that by the time they crack down bites, I will have the support of this House in terms of ensuring that we have order and normalcy on our roads. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the Port of Mombasa there is a detailed modernization programme that is ongoing which is aimed at making our Port a world class institution that will attract big ships and ensure that all the cargo destined for our region arrives on time and all our exports are out on time. The Port is at an advanced stage in automating its operations. In terms of its capacity, there is a dredging project that is ongoing to deepen our channel to about 14.5 meters; this will allow the docking of large vessels that currently cannot access our Port; currently they bypass Mombasa to other ports across the world. For this I am happy to note that the Treasury has already availed Kshs1.4 billion and the balance will be realized from international financiers. This contract should start immediately we have the concurrence of the Treasury. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will have noted that obviously we have two new ferries, those are MV Kwale and MV Likoni, that have been added to the fleet of the existing five ferries to make seven. The five are being refurbished and have capacities of 60 vehicles and 1,550 passengers each. This has eased the communication problems and linkages between the island and the South Coast. The offshoot of the dredging project is the development of Mombasa Container Terminal, using the material that has been dredged plus other reclamation. This project is ongoing with funding by the Japan Bank for International Co-operation. I wish to thank this House for having approved the necessary guarantees for this financing when it came on the floor of the House. Consultancy has finalized the preliminary designs for that and the tender documentation is being prepared to facilitate the contract for the construction works. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, maritime safety is our major consideration. The International Maritime Organization has identified Mombasa as a regional centre. Following this recognition in May, 2006 the Ministry entered into joint venture with the Kenya Ports Authority and the Kenya Maritime Authority to establish a search and rescue co-ordination centre for ships and crew in distress at sea. This centre not only serves Kenya but also the whole of East Africa region; it has a very sophisticated network and security system that identifies the ships in distress and sends the necessary assistance to them. Our airport is currently under expansion. Phase I is complete. Phase II has just began. With the increased traffic - over the last three years traffic has been growing at between five to 10 percent - our focus is to expand the current airport. First of all, we intend to increase the handling capacity and eventually move into the development of a second runway and associated infrastructure. This will begin within the next couple of years. Hopefully, within the next five years, we will complete it. Kenya Airport Authority will be meeting 90 percent of the project cost from its own internally generated resources and the balance will be from the Exchequer; I will come this later. There are also other developments taking place in terms of expansion of Kisumu Airport, other airstrips and the development of an airport in Isiolo to open up the whole of northern Kenya. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are also initiatives taking place in terms of flight safety, with modernization of the equipment at the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. We have the most up to date navigation equipment at the control tower at JKIA; I can confirm to this House that the equipment we have in Kenya is at par with the equipment in the best airports in the world. So, we do not take the issue of safety lightly. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry has several challenges that it faces. I will spare House this because we were able to discuss it with the Committee. The important thing to note is that in terms of the fragmentation of our transport systems, the low investment in the past in the transport sector, the lack of institutional framework and the congestion. We all know of the road carnage situation that we have. All these are challenges that we are facing and I would like to confirm to this House that we are confronting all of them with the right strategies and policies which we will be happy to share with this House in due course. Turning to the expenditures, the Ministry has been funded in the infrastructure sector in the current 2010/11 Financial Year. The gross amounts to finance both the Recurrent and the Development Votes in the Ministry are, on the Recurrent, Kshs3.5 billion and on Development, Kshs8 billion. I will give you the exact figures at the Committee Stage. In total we have Kshs11.6 billion but when we compare that with what we would require to carry out all the programmes within the Ministry--- We had estimated that we would require about Kshs41 billion, but we also do recognize that we are only one of the many players within this economy. We are currently looking at how we can finance a deficit of Kshs29 billion through raising money as well as rescheduling some of the activities that we had planned to do without compromising on the effective achievement of our mandate. I will spare the House the actual figures and how they are split between Treasury allocation and the Appropriations-in-Aid; that is all contained in the Printed Estimates that we have. Our net Recurrent amount of Kshs1.2 billion for the current financial year reflects a decrease of Kshs177 million when you compare it with the previous year’s figure; the decrease is about 12.7 per cent. We do know that this is partly because of the austerity measures by the Treasury. Some of our one-off expenditures that have been reduced include foreign travel and subsistence and refurbishment of buildings. We now have scaled down purchase of furniture. Some of the things have been cut off and a couple of others can be discussed should the need arise. On the Development Vote I would like to highlight that we have a combination of loans and grants from institutions and friendly countries. Most of these will be used in Development. I just want to highlight the Isiolo Airport, where we are spending Kshs308 million from the KAA; the expansion of Kisumu Airport will take Kshs600 million from the KAA; for dredging of Mombasa Port, there is an initial contribution of Kshs300 million by the KAA. Maintenance of aerodromes is allocated Kshs546 million. Part of the work for facilitating the feasibility study on Dongo Kundu is allocated Kshs225 million; other small jobs like the refurbishments and the mass transport system will be funded from the Development Vote. But more importantly is the construction of a flight data recorder laboratory for air accident investigations, where we have Kshs150 million budgeted.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, at this point, allow me to thank various donors who funded some our projects. We have external receipts of Kshs5.4 billion in the form of loans and grants of Kshs244 million to support the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project. This is a project with funding through the International Development Assistance (IDA) of the World Bank and East Africa Trade and Transport Facilitation Project, with IDA which aims at security systems at the port as well as rehabilitation of assets and relocation plan of some of the people who are settled a long the railway line. The Nairobi Metropolitan and Mass Transport System has a grant from African Development Bank of Kshs244 million, which will be used for purposes of facilitating the necessary studies.

We have Appropriations-in-Aid (A-in-A) listed of Kshs2.3 billion within the Recurrent Vote. That will be realized through mainly aeronautical charges by the Civil Aviation of Kshs2.2 billion; a small grant by the United States Government of Kshs60 million for maintenance of airstrips and aerodromes as well as sale of goods stores expected to realize Kshs2 million. Again, within the Development Vote, the Ministry will receive A-in-A amounting to Kshs3.8 billion, which includes Kshs2.1 billion from the IDA and Kshs1.7 billion from the Government of Japan, plus Kshs12 million from ADF. As I mentioned, the A-in-A collected from the Civil Aviation Authority of Kshs2.2 billion will be used to finance the operation of this Authority, while that from IDA will be expended by the Kenya Airports Authority for expansion and rehabilitation programme at the JKIA, establishment of transport data centre at the Ministry and the Integrated Security and Communication system at the Port of Mombasa.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, let me once again thank the World Bank, Government of Japan, and African Development Fund for the financial support they have availed to the Ministry totalling Kshs5.6 billion. I also want to confirm to each one of those donors that the money will be properly utilized on the projects and programmes already prioritized in this Budget.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I conclude this statement, I wish to reiterate that the monies that will be availed to my Ministry will be expended on the activities, projects and programmes that are intended in line with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework guidelines and Government financial and procurement regulations in order to realize the objectives of the Kenya Vision 2030 in the transport sector. Once again, I wish to thank this House for the support it has continuously given to this Ministry. As we move into the more challenging issues of bringing semblance of normalcy on roads sector, as we go through the regulations and update of them, as we go through issues that will require your support, I hope that the House will come forward to support the Ministry, so that we can have order on our roads.

With those remarks, I beg to Move and ask hon. Eng. M.M. Mahamud to second.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to second Vote 14 of Ministry of Transport.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the enabling role this Ministry plays in the economic development of this country cannot be understated. The transport sector contributes greatly to the economy of this country and it is important that it is funded properly. The various modes of transport which include aviation, road, rail, maritime, Indian waters and non-motorised transport are really playing a great role in the economy of this country.

As regard rails, we are aware that the Kenya Railways Corporation has been unable to perform properly. We are happy that the Ministry went out to concession the railways operation. But unfortunately, that did not work. We would like to urge the Ministry to re-negotiate the concession, so that it is put back on track and investment is put in place. We also urge the Ministry to go ahead and put the standard gauge rail which is funded by the Government and donors. That should be taken seriously because without railway we cannot transport our goods properly. As of now, we are expending a lot of money repairing our roads because our roads sector carries about 80 per cent of our goods within the region. So, to offload the stress from the roads sector, railway transport must be resuscitated, so that it takes its rightful share. Many countries of the world use railway as the mode of transport for heavy load.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I welcome the opening of the Lamu Corridor. But the northern corridor which has got the Port of Mombasa and serves countries which are landlocked such as Uganda, DRC, and Rwanda must be taken full advantage of. The Port of Mombasa must be properly modernized, so that it can take its position within the region. Otherwise, you might lose transport activities to central corridor which uses the Port of Dar-es-Salaam. Whereas, the Lamu Port will take sometime to be operationalised, the Port of Mombasa is existing. If we dredge it, we will allow bigger ships to dock. We should also upgrade the road from Mombasa to the Uganda border. If we do the railway line, we will take full advantage of the existing facility at the Port of Mombasa. So, the Port of Mombasa must be modernized as a priority. The attention we have given to Lamu should equally be given to the Port of Mombasa. We have it and it is something we can deal with quickly. I am happy that the Ministry is talking about commercialising some operations of the Port, so that we can compete with other ports. A country like Djibouti depends only on its airport. Kenya should as well take full advantage of the Mombasa Port.

I am happy the Ministry is talking about development of a free port, that is Mombasa Port. This should be hastened. The taskforce that is in place should come up with its recommendations quickly. I think there is some resistance to commercialisation because people think it will take people out of job. The Port of Mombasa will actually create more jobs if it is properly modernised.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, urban transport in Kenya is a nightmare. Movement within the City is a problem. The Ministry talks about putting in place rapid bus stop system. This has been talked about for a long time and the sooner it is operationalised, the better. I think we have too many small vehicles on our roads. If our buses are limited to 60 plus capacity, then Nissan matatus can be taken off the road. In the meantime, if we have had “Michuki Rules”, we need now to have “ Amos KimunyaRules ”, so that we can actually rationalise and put some sense into our public transport within the City. I am happy that the issue of road safety campaign is taken seriously. People are losing lives on our roads. The issues which were brought up in 2003/2004 by the then Minister, Mr. Michuki, were important. They were meant to ensure that people managing public transport do take care of the lives of the people.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have talked about the dredging of the Port. There will be a lot of economic activities in this country if the Port of Mombasa will be dredged and modernized. Let me now talk about Moi International Airport in Mombasa. It is a big hub in the region. Our airport in Mombasa is being modernized. We would like that to be hastened because currently, the runaways which are there were built in 1976. We would like them to be modernized so that we can take advantage of the traffic in the region. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to second.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support Vote 14 – Ministry of Transport. Pursuant to Standing Order No.152, the Departmental Committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing met with the Minister for Transport on 13th July, 2010 where it received submissions, presentations and relevant reports. The Minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Heads of parastatals under the Ministry and various relevant technical officers. The Committee considered the following policy papers and budget documents in their scrutiny of the Annual Estimates for the Ministry; Vision 2030; Medium-Term Plan; Printed Estimates for the Financial Year 2010/2011; Budget Speech for 2010/2011; Budget Outlook Paper for Financial Year 2010/2011; Budget Strategy Paper for the Financial Year 2010/2111; Economic Survey for 2010 and other relevant documents. I wish to sincerely thank Members of the Committee for their participation and contributions in the exercise. On their behalf, I wish to thank the Office of the Speaker and the Liaison Committee for the necessary support extended to it in the execution of its mandate as well as the Office of the Clerk for providing the necessary logistical and technical support. The Committee further wishes to thank the Minister for Transport, the Permanent Secretary, the parastatal Heads and the technical staff who appeared before the Committee for providing the necessary information and responding to issues raised by the hon. Members during the examination of the 2010/2011 Estimates. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, based on the submissions, presentations and evidence, the following issues were observed. The major issue that we observed was the underfunding that the Ministry has received. As has been mentioned by the Minister, the Ministry would have wished to be funded to the tune of Kshs41 billion, but because of the constraints just as has been mentioned by the Minister, the net amount that was funded was only Kshs5.4 billion. This left a huge gap. In view of the net shortfall, the Ministry has been compelled to reduce the scope of activities, programmes and projects in its strategic plans and to concentrate on a few development projects. It has also been forced to reschedule implementation of others to subsequent financial years. It is important to note that some of the projects left out are flagship projects in the Kenya Vision 2030. They are Medium-Term Plan and the Ministry’s Sector Plan. The projects are, therefore, crucial in the fulfillment of the Ministry’s mandate. The Minister has already indicated some of the projects that have not been funded or are underfunded. For example, we have the second container terminal at the Port of Mombasa. The Minister indicated here that this House approved the security some time last year. The Japanese Government has already given part of its funding. On our part, the Government has not provided the Kshs5 billion that was requested by the Ministry. So, it will be a bit difficult or impossible for the Ministry to ensure that this project starts. Another example is the Standard Gauge Railway Line where the Ministry requested Kshs3.5 billion, but nothing was given. In our view, this is a project that should be started immediately or even before. This is because, as the Minister indicated, we have a problem with the current railway system which is old and nearly obsolete. We request that this matter be looked at. The feasibility study at the Lamu Port has not started because of lack of funding. There are other projects that have been underfunded and the Minister has already stated them and I do not need to repeat the same. Considering the inadequacy of the current budgetary ceiling in financing the implementation of planned projects, the Committee recommends that adequate funds should be allocated to the Ministry. With adequate funding, the Ministry will be able to operate to its optimum. However, we request the Ministry to play its role by ensuring improvement of efficiency and absorption. This will ensure that key programme outputs are achieved. There will be no need to give extra funding if it will not be absorbed and used efficiently. The Ministry should also ensure that it puts in place an Integrated Transport Management Policy to reform and modernise the transport sector as a means to opening up the economy. We realise that motor registration has been on the rise. It grows by about 40,000 vehicles every year. This trend is of concern as it greatly contributes to the current congestion and traffic jams, particularly in Nairobi and Mombasa. The Committee feels that there should be a deliberate strategy to deal with the road traffic jams coupled with political goodwill to promote mass transport which could substantially address traffic jams. Therefore, the Ministry should ensure operationalization of mass transport in major towns. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) should offer tax incentives to promote mass public transport and encourage private investments in mass transport equipment in the urban centres to ease traffic congestion. Road accidents have been on the increase since 2009 with 12,369 accidents compared to 9,093 in 2008. This is mainly as a result of non-compliance with traffic rules and regulations and ineffectiveness of the Transport Licensing Board (TLB). Even though road carnage continues to take a huge toll on Kenyans through deaths and serious injuries, the Ministry has not put in place adequate measures to address the causes of these accidents. The Committee recommends that the Ministry takes a lead and maybe, borrow from what Mr. Michuki did in 2003. We believe that the current Minister is equal to the task and we will see some order on our roads the way it happened from 2003 to 2004. The Committee also recommends that the Ministry operationalizes as a matter of urgency the recently gazetted National Road Safety Council to enhance road safety. The Minister has mentioned Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) which is actually an eyesore. The Minister should look at the JKIA urgently because its state is worrying. About two weeks ago, I landed at the airport and it was crazy. It was like a market. I compared it to Kinshasa International Airport which has no order. The place was crowded and we were literally stepping on people as we passed. As part of the modernization, the Minister should look at the JKIA and give it the first priority because it is a very important airport in this part of the world. The Committee urges the Treasury to consider allocating funds to projects and programmes left out of the Estimates which have already been indicated as well as the underfunded projects during the Supplementary Budget which will be coming early next year. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support the Motion.

Hon. Members, you will notice that we have exactly 30 minutes for debate. Given the number of hon. Members who wish to speak, I think we will agree that we limit our contribution to two to three minutes. Is that agreed?

Yes!

Then I will give hon. Mungatana the first chance.

Proceed, Mr. Mungatana!

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. Very quickly, I want to congratulate the new Minister for Transport. We are confident that he has the ability to deliver.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wanted to just raise specific issues about the budget that he has presented to us, which hopefully he will be able to answer. The first thing is the question of the allocation of resources in terms of the regions. He read to us that Kshs600 million has been allocated for the development of the Kisumu Airport. We do not begrudge that, but why has the Minister taken so long to look at Malindi Airport? It has been there as part of the promises given every time there is an election, but it has been left to the back. What is the rationale of leaving an income generating airport like that neglected for so long, and yet the Development Vote could have as well divided the Kshs600 million into two; Kshs300 million to Malindi and Kshs300 million to Kisumu? The Minister should clarify that issue.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, he has also told us about the Kenya Railways. If I look at the Development Vote, we have Kshs1.2 billion that is made available under Head 457, Item No.2630200. In terms of the development of the railway line, how long is this expansion going to be also affecting the Coast region? When we talk about transportation, the road between Mombasa and Nairobi and the roads between Malindi, Hola, Garsen and Lamu carry a lot of heavy load. We have had no mention of any form of expansion or development in terms of the railway line. Are we only going to do the normal Kisumu-Nairobi railway line and the normal ones that are around here and leave the other regions? What are the new plans for including us? I want to encourage the Minister not to do business as usual. He should look at the Vote Heads and scrutinize them and allocate them fairly in accordance with what is available, no matter how little.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the IDA has also given the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) about Kshs1.2 billion, but when I tried to inquire from the KAA the number of airstrips that are undergoing renovation, from the Coast Province, I think we just have Manda in Lamu. Garsen, Ngao and Voi airstrips have been forgotten. I am not going to mention many of these. We have got to have fairness in terms of allocation of resources. It cannot be correct that this money keeps going to the same places and then we are left behind and there is no new money which is being brought and yet, Kenyans in those regions are also contributing, just like the other Kenyans in the other regions.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, I wanted to ask the Minister to very quickly be critical about the Recurrent Vote Expenditure that his officers present him with. I am worried because when you look at the vote expenditure, you will find that the Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) do not have a vote head that talks about other operating expenses, yet in the Kenya Ferry Services, while they have given other expenditure, you will see that Kshs50 million has been given. The Minister is obviously not going to administer this. It is going to be expended by the authority. How is he going to make sure that this taxpayers’ money is going to places that he really intended it to go? Even when we are voting Kshs300 million for the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) under the item; “other operating expenditure,” how is the Minister going to be sure that this money is going to be put, like he promised, to the use that he intends? I know he does not want it to be wasted but why does he tell us to pass a vote saying “other operating expenditure, Kshs30 million” to be expended by people he will not be sitting with on a daily basis? He needs to look at that. The funny thing is about---

Your time is up!

With those few remarks, I ask the Minister to look into those issues.

All of you are insisting on speaking for five minutes. There will only be time for five more Members. So, please, be mindful of others.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to start by congratulating the new Minister for Transport. I am sure he has the energy that is equal to the task ahead of him.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are challenges, especially in the urban centres. There are traffic jams in Nairobi, Kitale, Eldoret, Nakuru and so on. I think we should come up with some programme so that we ease the traffic congestion and save on fuel. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I know that the Minister has the ability to perform. If hon. Michuki is an old man and he was able to perform, and you are a young man, why do you not re-enforce the Michuki rules so that sanity comes back to this country and we reduce the deaths caused by road accidents? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to propose to the Minister that he renovates the railway line and sets up other railway lines. Passenger and goods trains should be increased so that our roads that are damaged by the weight of goods being transported can be saved. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, the Ministry has parastatals which have got land. But the parastatals are just using the land to speculate, sell and lease. The Minister should put up some measures to safeguard the land that belongs to the parastatals. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with those few remarks, I beg to support.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also wish to congratulate the new Minister for Transport on his new appointment. I think the expectation of this House and the nation is that the new Minister will not only enforce the Michuki rules, but he will actually act with such speed that is consistent with his agility as a young man. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, transport is very critical to the development of a nation. I am happy that actually the President, in the recent reshuffle, considered hon. Kimunya to be in charge of this Ministry because he is capable. I am hoping that hon. Kimunya is fully aware of the challenges in this Ministry. First and foremost, some of the airstrips in northern Kenya have not been upgraded. There is a requirement that they must be supervised every year so that when Ministers land, and I am glad that a few of them have been coming, including hon. Dr. Wekesa--- Sometimes they cannot land because there is no report from the KCAA. Regarding Lodwar airstrip, the only flight there, Fly540, has been having serious problems and endangering the lives of passengers, because the airstrip is rough. Mr. Minister, we have given you alternative land. Rehabilitate Lodwar Airstrip, which is within town as you develop the other one. We hope that you will be able to look at this. Lamu, Isiolo, Lodwar, Lokichoggio, what we call the new transport corridor, cannot be a song of this country. You may wish to recall that as early as 1968, only five years after Independence, this country committed itself to the development of this new transport corridor, but it did not happen. I am afraid that, at the rate at which you are progressing, even with the Kshs12.7 billion, it might not happen because this plan has been there since the year 2006. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is some discrimination with regard to KLM. You will find that there are designated queues for whites, Europeans and Americans. It is as if we are still a colony. There is another queue for natives. How can that happen in our own land? Bear that in mind when you fly out next time. Finally, I want to believe the reason why the President gave this job to Mr. Kimunya and not Mr. Mwakwere is because you have to look at the profiles of the CEOs and Managing Directors in your parastatals. This country is bigger than GEMA. This country is bigger than a particular region. I am afraid I must say these things because the law is very clear. Profile ethnity in that Ministry. Let a Turkana, Samburu or a Mijikenda get an opportunity to be an MD. The only reason why I did not become a physician is because when I grew up, I did not know that there were such professions. Give us a chance. This is a new Kenya. Thank you.

Asante sana Bw. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Nitazungumzia mambo mawili. Kwanza, namshukuru Waziri na kumpongeza kwa kuteuliwa kuwa Waziri katika Wizara hii. Reli ni muhimu sana na inaweza kuokoa barabara zetu. Tumekuwa tukiziharibu barabara zetu kwa haraka kwa sababu zinatumika na magari ambayo yana uzito mkubwa zaidi, na ambayo hayafai kuwa katika barabara zetu. Reli ya kutoka Mombasa kwenda Kisumu na Malaba, reli ya kutoka Voi kwenda sehemu zaTanzania inabomolewa badala ya kujengwa. It is being sold as scrap metal. Tunaomba Bwana Waziri aingilie kati ili reli hiyo irudishwe ili tuweze kuzilinda barabara zetu. Ahsante.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir for giving me this chance to support this Motion. I want to congratulate Mr. Kimunya for having been appointed to this Ministry. Mr. Kimunya is a capable young man and very soon, we will see some “Kimunya Rules” being applied on our roads. I want to stand here and support the Motion. I want to talk about our airports. In 2002, our airports were supposed to have been upgraded to a certain level. However, all we found there were some plastic floors which did not equate to the amount of money spent. Today, we are still having those plastic floors. A lot of money has been spent on that airport and yet, it is still an eye sore. That is not what Kenya deserves. I know that the parking bays for the aircrafts have been expanded. But the airport space for passengers is not adequate. We are moving very fast into the devolved Government and we will be having many tourists coming into this country. That airport must be upgraded. The Kisumu Airport needs to be upgraded. In this day and age when Kisumu is supposed to be one of the major cities under the East African Community, we still do not have a long runway for the 777 aircraft. A triple seven aircraft is a Kenyan aircraft. If it cannot land in Kisumu, when we are moving very fast in our governance, then I do not know what we are doing. I request the Minister to look into that issue in a serious way. I am glad that we are going to have a second port in Lamu that will cater for additional ships. That will also cater for the second Kenya Pipeline Authority oil supply from overseas. I really commend that. That is a good job. However, our lake ports are in dire need of repairs. When I was the Chairman of this Committee, it recommended that the lake ports be handed over to the Kenya Ports Authority and later on to the private sector. Those bays are being choked by hyacinth from the lakes. They have been forgotten many years ago and they are not being used for public transport. I want to commend the Minister for having launched the City to Embakasi Airport Rapid Transit System. I think that is the way to go. The day that train will be ready, I will make sure that my shoes are clean. I will be among the first people to board the train. Road safety in Kenya is in dire need of a complete overhaul. First of all, the contractors that we give the contracts to do the roads do not measure up to the requirements. I will ask the Minister to look into that issue. I will also ask the Minister to look into the matatu transportation system. The Likoni ferry is a waste of space---

Your time is up!

I beg to support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate my colleague. I know that for many years, he has not been playing golf because he has been concentrating on his Ministry. I would like him to continue in the same way and clean up some of the issues in this Ministry. One of the major issues in this Ministry is that of railways versus roads. I want to join my colleagues who have talked about the same issue. The road from Eldoret to Kitale is no longer used by heavy traffic because it has broken up. That is because the railway that used to carry maize, wheat and milk from that area is no longer in use. We want, as you plan to address the issue of transportation, to look at the possibility of Kitale having a proper railway service. As far as the airport is concerned, I want to join my colleagues from the North Rift. I would like to request you to look at the Lodwar and Lokichoggio airstrips and make sure that they are modernized. There is heavy traffic in those areas. The distances between Kitale, Lodwar Lokichoggio are long and, therefore, we need a proper air service in those areas. The Minister has a problem in dealing with the properties of the Kenya Railways. The Kenya Railways Corporation land has been grabbed by land grabbers. That is land which used to belong to the Kenya Railways Corporation. I urge my colleague to look into that and make sure that Government land belonging to airports or railways is not misused. The issue of motorcycles or boda bodas has come up. That is something that is providing employment to our youths. But, unfortunately, many of our youths are dying. Many of them are being injured by those motorcycles, including their passengers.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not think that there is proper direction from this Ministry with regard to licensing of motor cyclists. This issue can be felt in all our hospitals. If you go to hospitals, you will find that there are sections for victims of motor cycles. I would like the Minister to address that issue.

With those few remarks, I support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to start by congratulating the Minister who has been appointed in a substantive capacity. I know he is competent to do that job. We have said a lot and we have had time to interact with the Minister and his Ministry officials at the Committee level and I will only say a few things. We need to look at the Ministry of Transport in a new perspective. There are some things that we have talked about for such a long time. We have talked about the rules and regulations, the TLB and the second generation driving licenses. We have talked about these things since the beginning of this Tenth Parliament and they have not been implemented. I will not take issue with the Minister because he is new in the Ministry, but as a Ministry, these things should be implemented immediately, so that we can move forward. Secondly, I would like to talk about the issue of our ports and the whole transport infrastructure. You will agree with me that most goods are imported into the country through the Port of Mombasa. It is the only major port that we have. I am really concerned about this issue. I am not an expert in this line, but if you look at the Port of Mombasa which we depend on, God forbid, should anything happen like a ship stalling or some spill over for a week or two, nothing would move. I am sure we would be stuck for a long time. It is high time the Minister looked into the issue of the Port of Mombasa and considered what other options need to be explored. We have the new technology where the port is constructed inside the sea, so that we do not talk about dredging. In case of any accident happening, business will continue as usual. We have also talked about the Port of Lamu for a long time. The Minister has enough experience with fund raising because he was the Minister for Finance. He should look at what is exactly required to bring the ports of Mombasa and Lamu to international standards and then raise this money. If he keeps on waiting for budgetary provisions which sometimes are not sufficient, he may not implement the changes that we require in this kind of infrastructure. Therefore, he should move with speed and implement these changes, so that we can move forward. With those few remarks, I beg to support.

Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. While congratulating the new Minister for Transport, it is a good thing that we have a new Minister for this important Ministry as we welcome the dawn of a new dispensation. Therefore, I want to urge him to transform this Ministry in the spirit of that new dispensation. The new dispensation is about renewal, rebirth and transformation. We want to see that reflected in his work. When you look at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and our railway system, for instance, you see fossils that could do very well in a museum. Therefore, for me, this is not even about upgrading. When you talk about the JKIA and our railway system, it is not about upgrading. It is about overhaul, renewal and transformation. We want to see an international airport that befits the name “international airport”, for a city that is easily the hub of this region. Therefore, we do not want to continue hearing things like--- a few years ago, we heard of a big budget for the transformation of the JKIA. Really, all they did was a little paint work and a little scratching here and there, but the JKIA remains a fossil and nothing more than that in comparison to modern international airports across the world. That also goes for the railway system. Let us see a modern gauge railway network. Even as we talk about using the railway as an important urban transport system, let it be modern. Look at what South Africa did the other day in the run up to the Soccer World Cup. We saw a total transformation in the transport network and we want to see that in the spirit of the new dispensation. The new dispensation is about equity and affirmative action. We want to see those parts of this country that have continuously been forgotten brought on board. I am talking about the northern and the north eastern parts of this country. I am talking about facilities like the Busia Airstrip. Seven years ago, the Busia Airstrip brought mourning to this country. It cost this country the live of a leader; a Member of this House. To date, seven years down the line since that unfortunate national tragedy, the Government has not taken any measure at all to re-open, refurbish and transform the Busia Airstrip into a modern airstrip that can serve that important entry point into this country. So, as we talk about equity in the spirit of the new dispensation, can we see the Minister extending his hand, which I know is strong enough, to those parts? The new dispensation is also about empowerment. We want to see the Ministry empowering, especially those groups of Kenyans like our young people who eke a living out of boda boda business. We want to see the Ministry come up with a blue print, a clear policy that will allow our young people in many different parts of this country that use boda boda as a means of living to do their trade in a formal environment where they are protected. Today, boda boda youth are harassed left, right and centre by everybody. They are harassed by the police and the local authorities. For them to conduct their activities in a proper environment, they need clear policy guidelines from the Ministry. So, may the Minister lead this Ministry into this new dawn of a new dispensation with new thinking, thinking deliberately out of the box. I congratulate the Minister and may he take advantage of this new spirit of a new nation.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also stand to support this Vote. First, I would like to congratulate the Minister for having been appointed to this busy Ministry. This is a Ministry that is definitely going to change the lives of our Kenyan people, more so, the commuters. I would like to start with something that was proposed by the Ministry of Finance, but was not implemented. There was a proposal to have instant fines for traffic offences on our roads. Much as the Minister is new in the Ministry, the Ministry is not new. He should ensure that he rolls out that programme, so that we can see a bit of sanity on our roads. Hon. Michuki did a lot in this area, but we would want to see more being done on our roads. The solution lies in the way the programmes are going to be implemented. Enforcement may not be in the Ministry’s docket, but if he pushes, we can realize the results which were realized during hon. Michuki’s time. I know that the Ministry officials are competent enough, they can handle this and this is the high time they woke up and rolled out these programmes. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is also good to mention that the Transport Licensing Board Act needs to be re-visited. There are no stakeholders, and the Minister should be aware of that fact. It is retirees who are rewarded by being appointed to those dockets, yet they have nothing to do with the transport sector. That is a big mistake. The Minister should have raised that issue. He is still new there. He can fit in thoroughly well. Let us see people who are relevant to the sector contributing positively towards the whole sector. It is also important for us to realise that while the Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) cannot ply every part of Kenya---

Mr. Kathuri, I am sorry to interrupt. Unless the Minister allows you to continue, we are now in his time to reply.

Minister, allow me just one minute. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would want to comment on the issue of

. While we know that people need the services of boda boda motorcyclists in areas where vehicles cannot serve, it is of great concern that as we speak, they are going to strangle the whole transport sector. They are operating in town. They ferry commuters from Machakos Country Bus Station to town as the Government watches. This is a town. You find a boda boda motorcyclist carrying three people. That should not be allowed. They should be confined to the periphery, where there are no means of transport. The Ministry should come up with a clear policy on how they are going to handle this problem. With those many words, I beg support.

Minister, I know that Dr. Eseli wanted to speak, but this now your time. If you wish to give him a minute, it is up to you.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I can donate two minutes to him since he has proved that he is the last one standing.

Thank you, Mr. Minister for this time. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to congratulate Mr. Kimunya for being appointed the Minister for Transport, and tell him that the new Constitution is actually tailored for people like him. Since he came to Parliament, he has always been a Minister. He is also a technocrat. He now does not need to go through elections to become a Member of Parliament in order to be made a Minister. I have only a few questions to put to the Minister. Why have we left public transport entirely in the hands of the private sector? In the whole world, even in the developed countries, public transport is not entirely in the hands of the private sector. Secondly, why is it that despite the huge sums of money that we have spent on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), there seems to be no improvement in that facility? There could be a place through which funds have been leaking out. I would wish the Minister to take care of that aspect. Thirdly, why are we building single-lane roads between Mombasa and the hinterland and calling them highways? We are virtually crippling the development of the hinterland of Africa. Could we build six-lane dual carriage ways to the borders of the hinterland, so that we can aid its development and subsequently enable Kenya to generate revenue from it? With those few remarks, I beg to support.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am under pressure to donate one more minute.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. I will be very brief. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to commend the Minister for the new job he has got. I want to say that a properly organised transport system anywhere in the world is actually the key driver of an economy. In Kenya, we have had a lot of problems, because we have been relying on the matatu sector for a long time. Forty years after Independence, we have not decided to go any other way than the matatu way. I believe that the Minister is equal to the task, and that he can do a good job and give Kenyans a proper transport system. I am sure that he has travelled widely. He has been to countries like China and the Netherlands, where they use things like trams. I do not think it will be very difficult for Kenya to implement a better transport policy. I do not think the Budget that the Ministry has been given is enough, because we need a proper system of transport in this country to drive our economy properly. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will also notice that our roads do not have sections where one can ride a bicycle. Most of the countries, especially in Europe, are going the bicycle way, which is actually making transport very easy. With those remarks, I beg to support.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, let me start by thanking hon. Members for their overwhelming support and the confidence they have shown in my handling of the transport docket. I believe that, with the support of hon. Members, we can move far. I just want to say that I will take seriously all the issues that have been raised by hon. Members. I will address each one of them; I would like to clarify some of the issues that have been raised. Mr. Mungatana is gone. So, I might need to have a one-on-one chat with him. However, we are committed to developing the facilities on a nationwide basis. The new constitutional dispensation will give us a better opportunity to focus on and have a working airstrip in every county. With regard to Turkana County, I have used the Lodwar Airstrip since the 1980s. I know it, and I would like to see development on it. The issue we have with Busia Airstrip right now is encroachment. We cannot expand it because of the way its land has been encroached on. Immediately we have alternative land, which the councils in the district are already working on, we should be able to move in that direction. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to Malindi Airport, again, the issue is encroachment. Immediately we have land available for expansion, we should be able to move in that direction. We have been trying to get people out of there. It is becoming problematic but, again, we are seeking the intervention of the leadership of that area, so that we can work on the airport. Therefore, we are committed. We have Kshs546 million available for the airstrips. Within that budget, we will try as much as possible to refurbish as many airstrips as possible, and ensure that in every county, people can at least land and take off and see how they can be interconnected with the rest of the transport network in other areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am very much encouraged by hon. Members wanting the modernisation of our airports, railway system and other modes of transport; more importantly, we need order on our roads. As I mentioned yesterday, the carnage that is witnessed on our roads is due to the behavioural aspect of motorists. In the same way we have used Members of Parliament in the various Constituency Aids Committees (CACs), I would like to encourage Members of Parliament to start playing a part within the new county-based road safety councils that we will be launching, so that we can cascade it all the way to the constituency level. That way, people can start talking about road safety at the constituency level. Once we have road safety as a national issue, in the same way we have done with the HIV/AIDS and other epidemics, people will observe the traffic rules, not because they are forced to do so by the police, but because they believe that it is their duty to ensure that we have safety on our roads. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to assure this House that although we are giving some grants to parastatals, there is no parastatal which will spend that money without the direct approval of the Ministry in terms of the additional budgets. For instance, the Kshs50 million that hon. Mungatana mentioned is meant for compensation of the Mtongwe ferry disaster victims. You will remember that that tragic accident happened many years back. There is no parasatal that will be spending money without a budget, which I am personally reviewing and approving to ensure that we get value for money. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the comments were many and varied. They were all supportive, and I want to thank hon. Members and assure them that we will take all those issues into account as we move forward. I look forward to their support as we get into more challenging issues of bringing normalcy to the roads and issues of, for instance, getting some of the shops out of the airport as a way of decongesting the airport. I am sure that the exercise is going to raise a political turmoil, but I am sure that with the help of the Departmental Committees and hon. Members, we will be able to get exactly what we need, rather than having what only a few people would like for themselves. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to, once again, thank hon. Members and seek their continued support. With those remarks, I beg to move.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, I beg to move:-

THAT, a sum not exceeding Kshs9,914,698,045 be issued from the Consolidated Fund to complete the sum necessary to meet expenditure during the year ending 30th June, 2011 in respect of:-

Vote 30 – Ministry of Energy

Mr. Temporary Deputy Chairman, Sir, I beg to move:-

THAT, a sum not exceeding Kshs2,721,505,850 be issued from the Consolidated Fund to complete the sum necessary to meet the expenditure during the year ending 30th June, 2011 in respect of:-

Vote 14 – Ministry of Transport

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has considered the Resolution that a sum not exceeding Kshs9,914,698,045 be issued from the Consolidated Fund to complete the necessary to meet expenditure during the year ending 30th June, 2011 in respect of Vote 30 – Ministry of Energy, and has approved the same without amendment.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution.

(Mr. Kimunya) seconded.

Vote 14 – Ministry of Transport

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has considered the Resolution that a sum not exceeding Kshs2,721,505,850 be issued from the Consolidated Fund to complete the necessary to meet expenditure during the year ending 30th June, 2011 in respect of Vote 30 – Ministry of Transport, and has approved the same without amendment.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the House doth agree with the Committee in the said Resolution.

(Mr. Murungi) seconded.

Hon. Members, it is time for the interruption of business. The House, therefore, stands adjourned until this afternoon at 2.30 p.m.

The House rose at 12.20 p.m.