Hon. Members, Question No.1 by Private Notice is deferred to tomorrow afternoon because Eng. Gumbo is not able to prosecute it this morning.

to ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs:- (a) Could the Minister provide the names, qualifications and positions currently occupied by all foreign nationals currently working at Shelter Afrique offices as well as names and number of foreign nationals (if any) currently occupying General Service positions? (b) Have all foreign nationals working at Shelter Afrique complied with immigration laws for the entire duration of their stay/work in Kenya? (c) Is the Minister aware of the ongoing recruitment of Team Leaders for Human Resource, Internal Audit and Treasury and, if so, could the Minister table the list of all applications for these positions, the shortlisted candidates and the criteria for their shortlisting?

The next is Question No.2 by Private Notice by Mr. M’Mithiaru!

to ask the Minister for Education;- (a) Is the Minister aware that pupils from Leeta and Kiolo Primary Schools in Igembe North district were released by the respective headteachers to participate in a demonstration on 7th March, 2012, and that one of them was seriously injured and commercial wares looted at several market centres? (b) Why were the pupils released to participate in the demonstration, and what disciplinary action has the Minister taken against the headteachers?

Mr. M’Mithiaru is not in! Let us go to Ordinary Question by Mr. Ethuro!

asked the Minister of State for National Heritage and Culture how the Government has promoted local culture in Kenya.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not sure that this Question has been attended to as required, because the Assistant Minister seems to be hiding behind this policy, which I believe he has not brought to this House. If he has not done so, I am surprised that we are talking about it. Having said that, could he produce the list of 16 district and community cultural centres that they have constructed?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, some of these cultural centres are still being constructed and some are complete, but I can table the list of the 16 cultural centres.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to follow up on this issue because we would like to hold some cultural promotion activities in our districts and constituencies. I would like to know how much money he has allocated for these kind of activities and how much he has given to districts where construction is not going on. We have several halls where cultural activities can be held. Could he tell us how much he has allocated to constituencies, so that we can promote culture irrespective of whether there are cultural buildings or not because there are several halls which we can use?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you will agree with me that, that is a different Question. I would like to refer the hon. Member to the Budget of this Financial Year, 2011/2012.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Is the Assistant Minister in order to evade the question? He is referring me to the current Budget but my question was about how much money has been allocated to this area! Is he in order to evade my question?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think I am very clear on this Question because we have indicated how much has been used in the cultural centres. At the same time, I still refer the hon. Member to the Budget for this financial year. If he so wishes, then I can table the information later.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the list given by the Assistant Minister only indicates what the Ministry may be putting up. We have other cultural centres that have been in existence and he has not indicated whether he is taking care of them. In particular, I am referring to one of the oldest centres in Mukurwe wa Nyagathanga in Kiharu Constituency. Could he tell this House whether he has considered other centres and funded them to make them more approachable and attractive to cultural groups within our country?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in response to the question that has been asked by the hon. Member, this Ministry has been allocated meagre financial resources. In this case, as we read in the new Constitution, all the cultural centres now will be under the county governments. So, the Government, with the meagre resources it has, is trying to complete those projects that were started some years back.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, following the reply given by the Assistant Minister, it appears as if the Ministry of State for Culture and National Heritage has officers who are supposed to deal with some of those issues at the constituency level. Could the Assistant Minister tell this House how many cultural and social services officers he has posted to various districts or constituencies and, in particular, Mathioya, if there is any, because I have not seen any of those officers since I joined Parliament?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think one of the impediments to the Ministry’s work which makes it not operate properly is limitation in terms of personnel. We have seven officers serving the whole country. In this case, it is not possible to have them at the district level. You will find that we have cultural officers in charge of one or two counties. So, if we get enough finances, we will employ more officers and post them to the constituency level.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as one way of encouraging cultures across the country, last year, the Ministry of State for Culture and National Heritage promised to send technical persons to the Okoyo Ogonda Shrine, just outside the Kisumu International Airport, to look at it so that the lives and the culture of the Kisumu people could be looked at as a way of encouraging cultural centres outside Nairobi. How far has the Ministry gone with this process of sending personnel to Okoyo Ogonda Shrine?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think that is a different question. If the Member so wishes, I can make references and give him the answer later on.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. On 31st December, 2010, I had the privilege of sharing in the Butsotso Cultural day in Lurambi Constituency, Kakamega County, with the Minister. The Minister committed his Ministry and said that they would provide funds to construct a cultural centre for the Butsotso People on condition that the people of Butsotso gave land on which the construction would be done. Could the Assistant Minister tell us why he has not included this cultural centre in the budget even after I, Dr. Bonny Khalwale, donated eight acres of land for the construction of the centre? Why has he not factored that in the budget?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not know about that but I think the culture of Butsotso is not in my friend’s constituency. I believe that if they submitted the title deeds to the office, then I will make reference and establish that.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Is the Assistant Minister in order to evade answering the question and hide in the fact that Butsotso Cultural Centre is not in Ikolomani Constituency and, therefore, I cannot ask the question, when he has heard me say that I have donated eight acres for the construction of this centre for the simple reason that I am the cultural ambassador of the Luhya culture? I have donated this land. Could he tell us why he has not factored it in the budget?

Order! Indeed, the hon. Member is justified to ask why you are not putting up a cultural centre anywhere in this country. If it is outside Kenya, it is a different story because you do not have a jurisdiction yourself. An hon. Member’s mandate is not limited to his own constituency but it is limited to the country. Proceed and answer the question!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, he did not give me time to complete answering the question. I was only reminding him that I was in Butsotso which is in another constituency, but I did not deny the fact that he was going to donated land for the cultural centre. I said that if he has provided the title deeds, that means that I have to go back and find out whether they were received in the office. That is the comment I will make. I will give him an answer.

Order, hon. Assistant Minister! You have only 16 cultural centres in the whole country, as you put it yourself. You should be in a position to have these things at your finger tips. This is not like the number of health centres in the country for the Ministry of Medical Services which run into thousands or the number of roads or schools.

On a point of information, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Do you want to inform the Chair? The Chair will be glad to hear what you have to inform.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we all know that in the CDF docket, we have a budget for what we call “Sports and Cultural Activities”. Would I be in order to inform my good friend, hon. Dr. Khalwale and even the Assistant Minister that the hon. Member for Lurambi should use that docket to promote cultural activities and even construct a structure to promote the Luhya culture?

That is not a point of information but an opinion! In any case, hon. Dr. Bonny Khalwale has generously contributed eight acres. You know how much eight acres in Kakamega County costs! That is not a mean thing! Mr. Assistant Minister, proceed and answer the question.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think I was very clear that if the hon. Member donated land and has given us the title deeds, I have to make reference. This is because this is a new cultural centre which he is requesting to be started. It is not one which is ongoing.

Have you, indeed, surrendered the title deed of that piece of land to the Government?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, what is happening now is that the documentation process is ongoing. Already, the people of Butsotso have written a letter to the Ministry confirming that they now have land. So, all they needed to do is to do the due process and factor it into the budget. Hon. Keya, the Member for the area has already provided money which we are using to do the documentation. This is a practical question. There are only 16 cultural centres and he can make the Butsotso Cultural Centre the 17th one.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think I am very clear to the hon. Member. This is something that he has requested to be started. I will go back to the Ministry and find out whether, indeed, he surrendered the title deeds for the land because he is now talking about documentation. I will also find out about the letter he is talking about here.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. The list that the Assistant Minister provided does not indicate when these funds were availed and in which financial year so that we can know the details. However, since the Assistant Minister is being mean with his answers, I will ask him when he will construct a cultural centre in Isiolo South.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry will construct a cultural centre where the Member has requested after he has followed the steps which are supposed to be followed. At the same time, availability of funds can be another issue.

Next Question by Madam Sophia Abdi Noor!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Sophia Noor is out of the country and she requested me to ask the Question on her behalf.

Proceed!

on behalf of

asked the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology:-

(a) whether she could provide details of students from Ijara and Hulugho districts who have been awarded scholarships, both in local and overseas universities, by both the Government and development partners from 2008 to date; and, (b) what immediate action the Government will take to ensure access to higher education by all persons in Ijara Constituency.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am yet to get a copy of the answer.

Order! Do you wish to prosecute this Question without a written answer?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am sure I will be able to do so.

Are you sure?

Positive!

Then proceed. Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology!

Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to answer. I apologize that the written answer did not reach him. But it will reach him in one second. (a) The records at the Ministry indicate that no student from the two districts has been awarded a scholarship overseas or locally. This is mainly due to the fact that the Ministry has not received applications from qualified candidates from the two districts for consideration in the last three years. That is because those are competitive scholarships. (b) The Government has, for many years now, adopted affirmative action to increase access to university education to people particularly from Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs). Ijara and Hulugho districts are categorized as ASAL areas and as per the Joint Admission Board (JAB) admission criteria and guidelines of 2005, candidates from such areas are admitted with points one to five lower than from the other parts of the country, two for gender, two for ASAL and one for special conditions . So, a girl who is disabled can get a maximum of five. Further, the Government is in the process of establishing a university college in Garissa. It has already been gazette and the council is being processed. Once that is complete, the people from Ijara, Hulugho and any other area within Garissa County will access higher education at a relatively closer range than the case is right now. Local universities are also establishing satellite campuses in ASAL areas. Within Garissa, we know that one university has already established a campus for the purpose of taking higher education closer to the people. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the hon. Minister for a fairly comprehensive answer. But, as you will note, the Minister has said that no student from the two districts has been awarded a scholarship either locally or overseas. My question to the Minister is: There were 100 applicants from the two districts and none of them was awarded. It is not that they did not qualify. That is why we brought this Question so that we know under what circumstances they were not awarded scholarships. If you think there are none, would you then table the documents showing those ones who could not merit?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the list was not requested for. That is why I did not come with a list of those who did not merit. But if you look at the advertisements--- Currently, we are running scholarships from Japan. Japan is taking candidates with straight As. Two months ago, we were running scholarships from China. China was very categorical. It wanted ten undergraduate students with A or A-. We find that some of the students who have already---

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

Proceed, Minister!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for the protection. I think he needs to understand exactly the process, so that he knows the requirements. When it comes to students with A and A-, we have found out that many candidates with grade A would like to do medicine or engineering here in Kenya. So, the applications are generally lower for those kind of programmes. Some of the scholarships that we have, have been catering for masters and PhDs and so, sometimes, it is actually challenging for some regions to give those kind of candidates that we are looking for.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I quite agree that the Minister has given a very comprehensive answer. But when she talks of standards being high for those who aspire to go to Japan, I think the Questioner is asking you: What scholarships have you also given locally? If you know that you are trying to bring in affirmative action, then you could tell us that a few of the students from Ijara were given local scholarships. That is because local scholarships will enable students who do not have funds to join universities.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, hon. Members will remember that they asked for a list of students who received scholarships sometimes back – about two years ago. The Minister brought a list of local scholarships. Since then, there has been a change of policy in the Ministry and, in fact, when I went to the docket, local scholarships will be launched under the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). So, currently, all the scholarships at the local level have been offloaded and the money transferred to HELB. It actually arose from questions that came from this House on transparency and the criteria used to give scholarships. So, all the money has been transferred to HELB and we are not offering local scholarships. Rather, we are giving loans through HELB, which is accessible to all students. We think that, that was a very brilliant idea because any student who has scored C+ and above can access a loan. The criteria of how you get it has changed completely. So, that is exactly what has changed.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, could the hon. Minister confirm to this House the plans that her Ministry has towards accommodating students that have C+ and above, and especially the girls? I say so because I tried, as an example, to take a girl that had a C+ and she excelled in every single subject and has graduated with As. So, it does not mean that anybody with a C+ cannot join any university. In countries like the United States of America (USA), a C grade is just as good. But in Kenya, they are limiting it to Bs and above. I think we are really doing a great harm to our students. So, could the Minister really help us here?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we recognize that a C+ is an entry point to the university. We recognize that in the Ministry and, currently, as you saw in the Press yesterday, we have 118,000 students who got C+ and above. The JAB meeting that took place two days ago could only admit a maximum of 41,000 because of the space in the seven public universities and 14 public university colleges. The remaining will be applying for parallel programmes and in private universities. To answer what the hon. Member has asked, the Ministry is trying to expand a bit for our students so that we cover that. That is because those 118,000 students are just one-third of the students who went through Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). So, we are still offloading too many students at the level of KCSE. For that reason, we hope that before the end of this year, we will have asked the President to release charters for another ten universities. We will be releasing charters for seven universities – normal regular universities. We will also be releasing charters for three technical universities. That is because we also want to build education that goes through the technical line. So, as space will be expanded by the end of this year, we will comfortable. We believe that once we have created those ten, then we will be able to increase the university colleges. That is because once we release the ten university colleges that are existing, we will have room for expansion of the others.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Minister said that no student from Ijara Constituency qualified for the scholarships. What would be the Minister’s explanation for similar constituencies such as North Hor and Marsabit where students have qualified? Two years ago, I had a lady student with first class honours who applied, but who was never admitted. Today, there is a girl in Marsabit town with mean grade “A”. She has been struggling to get a Government scholarship. I went to the Minister’s Permanent Secretary (PS) and Assistant Minister, but to date we have had no solution. How would she explain that?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is information I am getting right now on the Floor of this House. We have always said the Japan scholarships, the Commonwealth scholarships and the Chinese scholarships should be spread as much as possible, so that every region in this country gets something. So, if we have an “A” student from an ASAL area who is ready to go for further studies, we will not hesitate. I would like to ask the hon. Member to give me that information because fairness is the rule in our Ministry.

Last supplementary question, hon. Ekwe Ethuro.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we want to appreciate the Minister, especially on her last bit of giving us assurance. However, we want an official Government position. The reason as to why some of us campaigned very hard in support of the Constitution was because under Article 43, we are assured of certain privileges. One of which is that every person has a right to education. When you go to Article 56, the same Constitution espouses this in the sense that the right to education is now extended to minorities and marginalised groups. Article 56 says the State shall put in place affirmative action programmes designed to ensure that minorities and marginalised groups, especially in paragraph (b):- “are provided special opportunities in education and economic fields;”

What is the Government doing other than just lowering the university admission point by two points, which obviously, we are not accessing because already the framework on the ground is not good enough? What is she going to do to ensure that she does not only spread the opportunities, but she actually makes sure that the money for secondary school bursaries is increased and boarding schools are set up as per the Government’s policy on nomadic schools? The number of teachers is another critical problem. We want a comprehensive answer on what affirmative action she is going to target, consistent with the Constitution, to ensure that all those students---

Ask your question, hon. Ethuro?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have asked the question.

Proceed and answer, Minister.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, he has asked the question, except that he is taking me to the other Ministry. However, I would like to assure him that we are also in discussion with the other Ministry because free primary education and free secondary education are issues that this House has passed and we hope that we can receive students coming out of secondary school from all the regions in this country with marks that can enable them to access higher education. The reason as to why we have embraced the idea of dropping the scholarships and going for the loans is the fact that a student who has scored a C+ (Plus) and who joins university under the Module II degree programme or private programmes---

Minister, please, conclude. We have constraints on time.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. What I was saying is that there are openings now and we are also encouraging the same from the lower basic education. Thank you.

Hon. Members, the rules of the House are such that an Allotted Day for the disposition of the Motion on the President’s Speech becomes a day when we have done it for three hours. So, under the circumstances, Question No.2 by Private Notice by hon. M’Mithiaru and Ordinary Question No.1507 by hon. Aden Duale are deferred to tomorrow.

to ask the Minister for Education:- (a) Is the Minister aware that pupils from Leeta and Kiolo Primary Schools in Igembe North District were released by the respective head teachers to participate in a demonstration on 7th March, 2012, and that one of them was seriously injured and commercial wares looted at several market centres? (b) Why were the pupils released to participate in the demonstration and what disciplinary action has the Minister taken against the headteachers?

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

Order! Order! The Chair is not taking any points of order because there are constraints as per the Standing Orders! Can you raise your point of order later in the afternoon?

Next order! Proceed, Leader of Government Business!

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. A very good morning to all of us!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move:- THAT, this House orders that the Business appearing in today’s Order Paper be exempted from the provisions of Standing Order No. 38(1), being a Wednesday Morning, a day allocated for Private Members’ Motions.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I move this Motion, I want to appreciate the fact that hon. Members have been quite generous with donation of Wednesday mornings, but we also realise that we have time constraints with regard to the matter of full implementation of the our Constitution. Since His Excellency the President gave a special address to the nation yesterday, at the level of the House Business Committee, we felt that we could yet again ask for Wednesday morning, which is today, so that we can begin debate on His Excellency the President’s Address to the nation from the Chair yesterday.

Therefore, I beg to move and ask hon. Kamama to second the Motion.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I second.

Next Order!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move:- THAT, the thanks of this House be recorded for the exposition of public policy contained in His Excellency’s Presidential Address from the Chair, laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday, 24th April, 2012.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my honourable colleagues will recall that, Speaking from where you are, His Excellency the President gave a most comprehensive Statement with regard to the state of the nation yesterday. It is only fair that this House takes the opportunity to reflect on the thoughts that His Excellency the President literally threw to us and the country at large.

On my part, I want to take this opportunity to very warmly congratulate His Excellency the President, hon. Mwai Kibaki, for the Statement that he made from the Chair yesterday. The whole country was watching. There are no Kenyans today who can say that they are not properly guided. When we say that this country needs to observe the tenets of the rule of law, His Excellency the President was able to elaborate on this. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when His Excellency the President talked about the next general election, I recall him say that before, during and after the general election this country should forever uphold the principles enshrined in our Constitution, particularly with regard to Kenyans’ need to observe strictly the rule of law. The alternative is the law of the jungle. I know that all of us have been able to traverse this country before and others are in the process of doing it. Even as we do so, it is important that we preach peace. His Excellency the President appreciates that there will be competitive politics. Even as we practice competitive politics leading to the next general elections, it behoves all of us to be always mindful of what is in the best national interest of this country. I, particularly, want to applaud His Excellency the President for dealing with the matter of our national integrity and the integrity of our borders in a very significant way. It is clearly elaborated in our Constitution that Kenya is one nation. Indeed, Kenya is one country and we are all the same. We may come from different communities, but there is unity in our diversity. I know my learned friend, hon. Martha Karua, takes issue with my description of oneness, but the truth of the matter is that it is an attempt to stress the need to uphold the unity of this nation and the integrity of the nation-State. Therefore, when we hear about organizations, and the President was very clear on this--- He said: “Specifically, the Coast region has been part of, is part of, and will remain forever part of the Republic of Kenya.” I think he made that issue clear. I want to call on friends who may be thinking in terms of acting contrary to the Constitution to be properly guided that this nation will not accept any secessionist moves because they are unconstitutional. There may be issues on the ground that have to do with marginalization, but this Government is determined to deal with those issues. In fact, the very fact of devolution as contained in our Constitution is aimed at dealing with those aspects. Over the years, since Independence, we are aware that there are regions in this country that have been marginalized. I want to refer all of us to the provisions of the Constitution and particularly the bit dealing with the “stabilization” fund; that in the next 20 years those regions that have been marginalized will have to get special attention and allocation.

It is the Equalization Fund!

Yes, it is the Equalization Fund. Thank you very much. I stand guided and corrected again by my learned friend. The Equalization Fund is actually the same. The effect of it is stabilization of these regions. Therefore, the Equalization Fund is specifically provided for under the Constitution. I, therefore, want to urge that there be sobriety even as we look at this issue. We should not accept a situation where we see a part of this country coming up clearly even with a national flag of their own. I want to urge the media houses to also act in a patriotic manner. They should not highlight things that are clearly in derogation of the integrity of the nation-State. When I saw the other day groups being shown on our national television indicating--- You look at it and wonder: Is this the same country? I think it is important for us also from the point of view of the media to know that issues that are not in the best interest of the nation should not be given prominence and; particularly now that the President has specifically spoken, I want to urge that all and sundry stand properly guided on this matter. I want to urge hon. Members from the Coast region to stand firm and educate those who may be disadvantaged with regard to the knowledge of the Constitution to guide our people in the Coast region specifically so that we can carry everybody along. It is not that the Government wants to be difficult, but this is an issue over which there can be no negotiations. You cannot negotiate with people who claim not to be Kenyans in the first place. I, therefore, thank the President for that clarity of presentation. Of course, his legacy will be secured. It is clear to all of us that His Excellency the President, even as Mr. Speaker was able to observe in his welcoming remarks, has done a brilliant job when it comes to expansion of our infrastructure. Our road infrastructure is expanding, especially superhighways. Some of them are still under construction and others are yet to be undertaken. He was very clear that in terms of achieving Vision 2030, the next leadership of this country will have to be properly directed because the foundation stones have literally been laid. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to urge that even on the matter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) where the President feels it should not be politicized, it is a matter that we know goes to the very basis of who we are. Talking about the integrity of the nation-State we need to establish whether Kenyans will be comfortable having matters discussed out of this country or whether, indeed, we should not continue as His Excellency the President said, looking at all the options. I know that serious consultations are underway which will make it possible for us to have the local option. In fact, in this House, we missed that golden opportunity, but it is important for all of us to think backwards and take corrective action where we know it is in the best interest of this nation to have matters done locally. We need to, of course, take into account the need for national reconciliation and healing. On the matter of resettlement of evictees from Mau Forest and Embobut Forest as well as the victims of the post-election violence, money that has specifically been given was mentioned by the President in his Address. He talked about Kshs4.4 billion allocated to the Ministry of State for Special Programmes and another Kshs2.9. I want to believe that before the end of the next two to three months, we will be talking about everybody having been settled. In the last two days I had the privilege of visiting the Embobut evictees in Keiyo Marakwet County. I gave them the assurance because mothers came out and said: “You asked us to leave the forest which is what we have done. Look at us. Our children are having difficulties and some of us are catching pneumonia. You promised us resettlement and it has taken this long.” This was in hon. Linah Kilimo’s constituency. We gave them assurance because money has already been set aside for their resettlement. The Member for Rongai and others are really thinking of working with these communities in order to resettle them. I was able to see the recovery of Embobut Forest and I think the same is happening in Mau Forest. It behoves us to resettle them. However, we want to give assurance to the victims of the post-election violence. These are Kenyans who were uprooted from their own homes, or whatever they called “home”. We know the concept of home is a very important one to Kenyans. We want to assure them that we are thinking and we will continue to empathize with them. Very soon, they will all be able to be home. This is what the President’s message truly indicated. He, indeed, talked about matters of the environment. As I said, his statement was comprehensive. I want to invite the hon. colleagues to think along with His Excellency the President. For instance, he said that fish farming has picked up in this country. Many of us now have actually become fish farmers. He talked about the fact that three years ago we were talking about 4,000 tonnes of fish but it is now 20,000 tonnes. The other day I was seeing that there is a reduction of tilapia fish in Lake Victoria. Part of this has to do with pollution in the gulf countries. When there is pollution in our rivers the same gets transported through the rivers to Lake Victoria and this has the effect of denying oxygen to the fish. We then lose a lot of them. So, matters to do with the environment are also important.

I do not know what is irking the Member for Gwassi but he will have his occasion to contribute. I think I am exciting his thinking because I do not know whether he believes in fish farming like I do. I think he goes to the ocean to pick his fish. I am sorry he goes to Lake Victoria which is like an ocean. I do not know why he is excited.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Is it in order for the Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs to even attempt to think that he has more interest in fish farming than I do when he has no knowledge of how---

Order! Order, hon. Mbadi! You want to take away even the freedom of thought from somebody and you say that is a point of order? You are out of order!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the reality is that if the Member for Gwassi thinks he has the monopoly of knowledge to rear fish, he is clearly wrong! I am a fish farmer and I must declare my interest. There is this misnomer that fish belongs to certain communities but it is for all of us. I want to encourage all Kenyans to go seriously into fish farming. This should include pastoralists so that whenever it rains like now we should get fish everywhere. There is nothing fishy about what I am saying. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to take this opportunity to again very warmly congratulate the President. One of the things that will go down the annals of history as a tremendous achievement is the conceptualization of the Lamu South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) project at the Lamu Port, and the fact that we are even doing something to improve the Mombasa-Malaba route by way of enlarging the standard gauge so that transportation by railway line across the region becomes a lot more economical. Of even greater significance is this matter of LAPSSET. The moment this is achieved and the greatest achievement is in the conceptualization of this matter--- It behoves all of us, particularly the next leadership to be able to fully implement this project because, clearly, the amounts that are involved in this transport corridor are colossal. This is the kind of thing that will enable the Member for Turkana Central to transport oil from that region through the port of Lamu and be able to help the people of Southern Sudan and elsewhere; people of Ethiopia to be able now to have--- As I speak to you now, Ethiopia is landlocked after they lost the Port of Asmara to Eritrea. Therefore, the Ethiopians look up to Kenya to be able to provide them with that access to the sea. Therefore, this is tremendous and I really have no words to thank His Excellency the President. On agriculture, there is need to move from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation which is already taking root. Therefore, we cannot continue to rely all the time on rain. When the rains come, like last night hon. Members were getting home at midnight. This is because the rains came heavily. I was telling the hon. Member for Naivasha to even think in terms of changing the name of that wonderful national park because when you see flash floods carrying away young people at the prime of age and they suddenly perish, it pains all of us as a nation. Maybe it is time we changed the name of this national park from Hells Gate National Park to Glorious Park. This is because if you internalize hell you begin to live in hell while you are on earth. I want to really thank all of us because we now have to implement the Constitution. This is why later on I have asked the hon. Member, my learned friend, the Minister for Lands, to be able to later in the afternoon move as we discuss the Land Bills, the possibility of an extension so that we can deal with all the business that we know is before this House. In fact, right now we have so much business that I want to suggest that whenever a request is made for extension of time, that we will be generous as a House to grant the same so that the country again can actually stand guided by what this House does because Kenyans now appreciate that the Tenth Parliament is up to the mark when it comes to the full implementation of the Constitution. So, those deadlines that must be met like the 28th August deadline are important matters that we must deal with. So, I want to take this opportunity to commend this Speech before the House. I have just given you one or two highlights as I saw them. But the Speech was so rich in its originality and presentation that it actually has given a new sense of direction to the country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Who is seconding the Motion?

The hon. Asman Kamama would like to second this Motion.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for granting me the opportunity to really contribute on this very special Motion. I totally support the Presidential Address to the nation. I want to say that the Speech was brilliant, excellent and it reminds us of what the President has done for the last nine or 10 years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, first of all, I want to thank the President for his exposition especially on the issue of infrastructure and I want to concentrate on LAPSSET. If anything else will be forgotten in terms of what hon. Kibaki has achieved, the issue of road development will never be forgotten. I want to support His Excellency the President for coming up with the LAPSSET project which is the most expensive project in the entire continent. This project will cost about Kshs1.5 trillion. It is the only project implemented since the beginning of the Mombasa-Kisumu Railway line. That was about 100 years ago. We have taken too long to actually develop that part of the country. The northern part of the country has been forgotten for a long time and LAPSSET will actually open the entire region, in addition to benefiting the East African Community which we really support because of our integration. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to support the President for coming up with that project but I want to encourage our President and the entire region to support diplomatic efforts in dealing with the Sudan issue. As we speak now, we have a problem in Southern Sudan and Northern Sudan. The conflict in those countries will affect the entire region. So, we need diplomatic efforts to go a notch higher in solving this matter diplomatically so that the two countries do not go to war. The construction of the Thika Highway, the Isiolo-Moyale Road and the Standard Railway gauge from Mombasa to Malaba are welcome developments. I want to really go into the substantive issue, and that is the CDF. The President actually gave accolades to Members of Parliament who have implemented CDF projects. I want to urge Kenyans and this House to support this initiative because this country is jinxed. When you come up with a new invention like the CDF that was brought to this House by hon. Muriuki from Ol Kalou--- The CDF has really revolutionized development in this country. As a person who comes from the remotest part of this country--- I come from the third constituency from Sudan; after Mr. Ethuro’s place and Mr. Nanok’s, the next one is mine. I managed to put up 80 primary schools through the Constituencies Development Fund (CDF).

I do not want to mention the rest. Let us entrench the CDF; let us not lose focus because I think the CDF is an invention like M-PESA. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I finish, I will talk about the issue of security. We need to deal with the Al Shabaab and the Mombasa Republic Council (MRC) decisively and very promptly. We have prevaricated and dillydallied on the issue of Al Shabaab . Since we joined the AMISOM, I think we became very slow and there are many reports that this country is in danger from the Al Shabaab and the rest. We want the AMISOM to go to Kismayu. We want to deal with the issue of Al Shabaab, once and for all. With those few remarks, I beg to support.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for this opportunity. I agree partially with the Address and, therefore, my thanks will be partial, and not whole. On the statement that the Grand Coalition Government has focused or/and has sought to improve the lives of our people, I want to say that if they have tried, then they have failed because a majority of the people cannot afford even their daily meals. A majority of the people cannot access the basic services such as healthcare and housing. Even the education that is supposed to be free when children have no food and no proper shelter, not everybody is benefiting. Therefore, this is an area that the Government has to think about. When we talk of the economy, yes, it is growing but is there any trickle down effect to the common man? These are issues that the Government has to address; before the Grand Coalition pats itself on the back, it should know these are the deficiencies that are there. The disparities in income are growing instead of narrowing. It is true that we have passed legislations beginning with the Constitution and legislation to support human rights. But what is the behaviour of Government agencies, for instance, the police? In the course of law enforcement, they are behaving like the Constitution and our laws do not exist; they trample on people’s rights. We cannot stop the police from doing their duty of law enforcement but they do not have to be brutal in order to do so. We watched as they clobbered a young man – it was shown on all the media – in Limuru. If the Commissioner of Police apologized because of the same sort of behavior to a young man in Turkana, he should then have acted by now on the officers shown clobbering somebody who was totally unarmed. I am saying that where there is need, the police must enforce the law, but they do not have to be brutal. On human rights, the Government cannot score whatsoever.

On a point of information, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Do you wish to be informed?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, he may inform me! Having been my deputy, he may inform me!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I just want to remind my former boss---

Do you wish to “remind” or do you wish to inform?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform my former boss that, that incident actually was in West Pokot and not in Turkana.

Thank you. Actually that is correct! It was initially reported as Turkana but it was West Pokot and I thank him for that information. I also want to comment on the fact that the Constitution has created 47 counties. Many of us politicians are living in the past. They are talking of Rift Valley, KAMATUSA. They are talking of Central and GEMA. For information of all Kenyans and to restate what is in the Constitution, the Rift Valley as a province has ceased to exist. The Central as a province has ceased to exist. In its place are five counties and in the place of Rift Valley is 13 counties. It is time we started developing pride in counties. Kenya has 47 counties and we must identify ourselves with our country as Kenya and our county and no longer in tribes. So, let the outdated politicians learn that and let Kenyans stop outdated politicians from polarizing the country.

I was quite surprised when the President talked of the Bills that we must pass, including the Bills relating to land and I endorse it. He did not talk of the Bill to enforce Chapter Six on integrity. He did mention that the elections are near; does this indicate that the Grand Coalition Government does not prioritize that Bill to enforce integrity? He also did not mention the Campaign Financing Bill. These are very important Bills and I want to urge the House that if the Executive fails to prioritize them, as a Parliament, we can, and we must, prioritize these two Bills, which have to do with the elections. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also have to push for police reforms. Look at how the police is discriminating in enforcing the law. Look at them facilitating a political faction and traumatizing another. I may not agree with both factions, but I must uphold their right to assemble. If one group is allowed to do it, then another group must be allowed. We must be consistent in the way we apply the law and demonstrate equality. I also want to comment on the issue of the International Criminal Court (ICC). I was a Minister when I tabled the Bill for the local tribunal. I personally begged the President and the Prime Minister to come to the House, address it and contribute in support of the Bill. They both failed to do so and merely came to vote. If they appeared at that time by their body language to agree with those who said “do not be vague, ask for Hague” why the vagueness at this time? They asked for Hague and Hague it became!

I would want to wonder when we are showing partiality in application of the law; when the Government has put its machinery at the disposal of the suspects, and it has not put the same machinery at the disposal of the victims, is this the environment where the Government now can say that impartial investigations and trials can be conducted? There is nothing wrong with wanting a local tribunal, but the questions are: Will it have an international component because this is a highly emotive political issue? I noticed that when the President was appointing a tribunal to investigate the Deputy Chief Justice, he was able to source internationally. In that tribunal is a Tanzanian judge. In the vetting of the police, we have a Ghanaian judge and many others. Are they looking for an international component so as to depoliticize this particular matter? As for the President saying that we should not politicize the ICC, maybe he ought to remember that it is his Government that is politicizing it by showing open partiality to the suspects and not showing reasonable care for the victims and witnesses.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to stand here and commend our armed forces for defending our country, and for the work they have done in Somalia. I support the President in acknowledging that; but the President ought to have thanked this House, in my view; for once, we stood as a House, and we have stood as a country, in support of what our armed forces were doing.

So, this is an area of convergence and if nobody else acknowledges it, let us, as a House, note that this is the way forward on issues of national importance. This is an area where we have done well. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President or the Government is known to be a friend of Al Bashir of Sudan. That friendship which was displayed during the promulgation of the Constitution must now be actively utilized to ensure that no war breaks out between Sudan and South Sudan. I am, therefore, as the de facto leader of the Opposition, urging the President of Kenya to immediately move with speed and negotiate to ensure that his friendship with Al Bashir is utilized.

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, could the hour glass stop?

The Chair will help you.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. This is a House of rules. Would I get confirmation whether hon. Karua is legally and officially recognized as the Opposition leader in this House? As far as I am concerned---

Order! Hon. Mbadi, you are out of order!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am the de facto leader of the Opposition and I will repeat once again and I play that role effectively. So, I am urging President Kibaki, on behalf of Kenya, to utilize his friendship with Al Bashir to ensure that he brokers peace between Sudan and South Sudan. We do not need war; we need peace in the region. I want to urge the five leaders of the East African Community (EAC) to reconsider their decision to reject the application of Sudan as a member of the EAC. We should be ready as a region to admit the two Sudans as members. We must keep them closer so that we are able to ensure regional stability and peace. These are issues that the Government or the Executive should be aware of.

I want to also say that, yes, the Kibaki Government has transformed the infrastructure, but there is one word missing from their vocabulary, the word “maintenance”. They are opening new roads, but forgetting the old ones. So, from a new road, you fall directly into a deep pothole. We want them to adopt the word “maintenance” to ensure there is expansion and maintenance. Lastly, I want to tackle the issue of Kenya being one. In NARC-Kenya, we say one Kenya, one nation, one people. We are glad that this is now the clarion call of everybody. As pertains to the issue of the Coast, the Government should not just wield a big stick, but we should also sensitize our people about the opportunities in the new Constitution, namely, the opportunities in the Devolution and Equalization Fund to address marginalization and that the Coast people and the people of Kenya will be key players in redressing the inequalities of the past, including how to manage land. I beg to partially support the Motion.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the history of this country is written, it certainly shall be remembered that it was during the reign of His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki that this country finally broke the jinx of our very long pursuit of a new constitutional order. Therefore, I want to commend the President, not only for the vision that he expressed in this House, his vision of this country and outlining also achievements that we have seen under his leadership and where he hopes to see our country headed, but also to applaud him for this momentous achievement. The Constitution that we celebrate, the new order that we credit the reign of His Excellency the President for is emphatic in its preamble; the aspiration of all Kenyans for a Government based on the essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, social justice and the rule of law. Indeed, listening to His Excellency the President yesterday, he made clear his intention to see all these beautiful values; all these aspirations expressed through the governance over which he runs but intention must be matched with deed. It must be matched with action. It is Ernest Hemmingway who loved to say that “never mistake motion for action”. Therefore, even as we applaud His Excellency the President for all the expressions of intention that are contained in His Speech, my concern is drawn to certain issues where the intention has not been matched by action. Let me start with the question of security. It is, indeed, gratifying to listen to His Excellency the President give an assurance that the people of this country should rest assured that we are safe, secure and that we can go about our business confident that we are safe. We may be safe from external aggression, but how safe are Kenyans from the very people who are employed at public expense to take care of their interest? Here, I am talking about the police. We have seen in the recent past very worrying incidents of signs of what you may want to call the return of the police State in this country. One of the reasons why Kenyans rose in unison to pursue a new constitutional order was the brutality meted on the people of this country by what was by all definitions a police State. We watched in horror a young man lying prostate on the ground, defenceless and unarmed being brutalized in a manner that was more than chilling. It reminded me of provisions of Article 49 of the Constitution on the rights of arrested persons. This article is clear of how an arrested person is supposed to be treated. If persons serving under His Excellency the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Kenya cannot guarantee these basic rights of an arrested person, it is worrying. It does not matter for what you have been arrested, but the provisions of Article 49 guarantee you certain basic protections that we have not witnessed in the recent past. The same Constitution guarantees the right to assemble, the right o associate and the right to expression. Again, the scenes we witnessed in Limuru two weeks ago of again innocent Kenyans gathered in a manner that did not appear in any way to infringe upon the Constitution. These people were scattered and brutalized. Again, we saw a young man on his kneels with his hands in the air. Basically, even in the midst of war or in the midst of international aggression, when a person goes on their knees and raises their hands, it is a sign of surrender. That person is supposed to be apprehended. But what we saw the police doing to that young man, it flew right in the face of the new Constitution and the question, therefore, that arise is: How far does the Government of His Excellency the President go in matching motion with action? On the question of ethnicity, as the President spoke, I was tucked in that corner of the House and I remembered the ageless words of Martin Luther King when he said “I have a dream of a nation where my children shall be judged by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin”. We are living at a time, especially as we implement the new Constitution, when some of us are wondering when we shall see a Kenya where every Kenyan is judged by the content of their character and not the sound of their last name. As the President speaks about national unity and, indeed, the words of our National Anthem which are also contained in our Constitution “justice be our shield and defender, may we dwell in unity, peace and liberty”.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, our National Anthem and our own Constitution celebrate national unity. But we want to see the intention for national unity expressed in the little actions that we take, as persons who have been given the responsibility to manage the affairs of this country. All previous presidents in this country have expressed the desire for national unity. His Excellency the late Jomo Kenyatta did not tire to talk about national unity. Retired President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi preached national unity at every opportunity. He even came up with an interesting philosophy; the famous Nyayo philosophy of peace, love and unity.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, our third President has also not tired to speak about national unity. But when you look at all those presidents, you do not see action matching intention. Today, I look at the distribution of public appointments as an example. Recently, we had appointment to the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). The President had three names out of which to pick one person. There was a person from North Eastern and there was a person from the western region of this country. The President settled on a person from his home region. That was an opportunity to demonstrate his intention in real times by action, commitment to national unity.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at the entire finance sector, Ministry of Finance, you look at the entire security sector; Defence, police, Administration Police, intelligence, CID, what do you see? Do you see the intention to reflect the face of Kenya matched by the President’s action in those appointments? Unfortunately, where I sit, I do not see. Therefore, it is not enough to do what Jomo Kenyatta did; or to do what Daniel Arap Moi did to express the intention to see this country united as one. The President and the Government must go a step further, in appointments to public offices, to reflect the face of Kenya.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I expected the President to come out clearly and reprimand unequivocally any leaders seated in this House that is making attempts to return us back to the dark days of GEMA, KAMATUSA and tribal groupings, which can only but eat into the national fabric of this country. My challenge is that, as we talk about these things, we must go further to demonstrate real action.

On infrastructure, the President must be commended for the action that has been taken to develop infrastructure. But, again, where are most of those roads headed to? If you go to Turkana, to travel from Kitale to Lodwar is a nightmare. So, we must soon look at how those infrastructure projects have been balanced. Can we say and look each other in the eye - eye ball to eye ball - in this House and say that, that infrastructure development has been balanced equitably across the length and breadth of this country as anticipated by the Constitution?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally - and I am running out of time, I want to talk about the International Criminal Court (ICC). We sat in this House with His Excellency the President and the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister seated in that corner. This House sung in very clear terms the chorus: “Do not be vague. Let us go to Hague”. Has - and I hope the President would have asked this question - the chorus makers in this House changed the chorus and are they now ready to sing a new chorus?

With those remarks, I support with reservations.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me this brief opportunity to contribute to His Excellency the President’s Speech, which was read yesterday.

I want to be very brief on this particular one. First, I want to say that I support the Speech. Essentially, it has raised quite critical policy issues. But I hope that during the last few months of his Government, a number of these things are going to be enacted to leave a legacy for him when he retires after the next election.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to touch on the issue of insecurity, which the Government seems to be putting as a priority. I liked the Speech the President made particularly his sentiments on our engagement with Al-Shabab to stabilize Somalia and his call for Sudan and Southern Sudan to cease going to war. You will realize that what has taken Sudan and Southern Sudan to war are issues that were not finalized during the CPA agreement, and some of them relate to oil. You realize that just a couple of weeks ago, the President announced the discovery of oil in Turkana. I would have wanted the Leader of Government Business to listen keenly, since he wants the Presidency of this country. Actually, the discovery of oil was found in my constituency in Turkana South and not in Turkana Central. He should familiarize himself with the geography of this country so that he can be able to know exactly “where we have found what and where we have not found what”.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, I raise these issues because Sudan and Southern Sudan are about to fight over oil. Nigeria has been fighting within itself about oil. Angola has been fighting within itself about oil. Now that we have made a major discovery in this country, let us make sure that we put the requisite legislation so that we avoid the situation that those countries have gone into. I like the President when he said in his Speech that he is going to put the income that is going to be generated out of the oil into prudent use. But what we are demanding as representatives of the citizens of this country and, particularly, from the marginalized areas of Turkana County, is equity. That is because when the oil discovery was made, there was talk in the media that land in Turkana had been sold and exploratory licences were being sold here and there. This is the time when thousands of Kenyans were dying due to famine. Kenyans for Kenya were busy fundraising to buy food to take to the poor Turkana mothers and children. I would really call upon the relevant Committees of this House to investigate this issue and bring it to rest.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also want the issue of the relevant legislation in regard to the review of the Petroleum Act and Mineral Oil Exploration Act be fast- tracked so that, by the time the County Governments are in place, everyone is satisfied, including all those communities that are in areas where rare minerals are found. I have in mind Kwale, gold in Kakamega and Migori, oil in Turkana and coal in Kitui. Those counties must have a share of that natural resource. I want to repeat one thing that I have said out this House before. Normally, when you hear that there is a discovery of something, you will find land speculators running here and there. But, basically, now that Turkana has been known to have a lot of oil, we do not want speculators. We want people who can come and add value to the people of Turkana and to the people of this country.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 were here. The famous Sessional Paper of 1965 that categorized this country into high potential and low potential areas is a document that should not be ignored; we are watching keenly from Turkana to see how the upcoming Budget allocation of the resources and the money in the Budget is going to be done. If money is allocated based on the potentiality of an area, now we have Turkana County that has super potential. We will want to see resources allocated to its super potentiality.

We would want to see resources allocated to improve the bad roads, solve the water and health problem and to improve the entire infrastructure.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when the President was talking about insecurity, he did touch internally on the problems in the Coast. I do support the Government that we are one country, one Government, one people and the Government should make every effort to redress that situation. If it is about the issues that have been raised by the people in the Coast Province, let the Government redress those issues. But I was shocked not to hear anything about cattle rustling insecurity in the President’s Address.

This is a problem that is in northern Kenya, the whole of North Rift, the whole of upper eastern and it is now catching up even in some places of Nyanza and some parts of southern rift. For how long are we going to keep quiet on this problem that has killed so many people? For how long? I think it is high time the Government prioritized, particularly now that there is oil in Turkana – the epicentre of cattle rustling insecurity. The Government should put it as a priority so as to eliminate this problem once and for all.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to applaud the President also for raising the issue of the LAPPSET corridor. Indeed, I want to thank him because this is going to be one of the legacies he will leave this country with. But let the President and the Prime Minister – the two principals – take the lead; even after laying the foundation stone in Lamu, I am seeing the relevant Government Ministries not moving very fast to implement this project. Let the President, in the next couple of months that are remaining, prioritize this. He has the support of the leadership along that corridor. We want this project to be fast tracked as soon as possible, so that by the time the President is retired, that project is up and running so that we, in this country, can reap the benefits of that particular project.

Lastly, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, is what the President said in his Address, that he is not in support of regional politics and parties. This is important because there are many of my colleagues here---

Order, hon. Member for Turkana--- Is it South?

Yes, Turkana South, where the oil has been found!

Because of the oil, now conclude. Proceed.

I support.

Proceed, hon. Musila!

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to also join my colleagues in congratulating His Excellency the President for his Address yesterday.

There is no doubt, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that His Excellency Mwai Kibaki has, during his term in office, performed very well, particularly in terms of economic and social development. He has done very well and he deserves the congratulations of this House.

However, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are challenges, as in any leadership. I think, as a House, we must take note and possibly request that during the period that the President has remaining, he should in a way address issues which we think are of concern to this country. Therefore, in the next eight or so minutes, I would like to attempt to mention some of the issues that I think are still remaining as major challenges to His Excellency’s Government.

First, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, is security. I join the President in applauding our defence forces. They have done us proud by the manner in which they have carried out their assignment in Somalia. This House authorized the amalgamation of our forces into the African Union (AU) force; this process has now been completed. Therefore, we can look forward to maintenance of peace and security under the AU/UN in Somalia.

However, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, our internal security leaves much to be desired. We have seen many challenges in internal security and many remain. Even the issues we are talking about like youth fighting here and there, all can be related to matters of internal security. Therefore, it is a major security of internal security; I would like to ask that the President addresses this issue as seriously as possible. The casual manner in which our security forces are going round in the country and clobbering people all over will not solve internal security issues. They need to address the insecurity issues professionally, not by shooting in the air and killing people in their residences.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President has been commended many times on infrastructure. Indeed, those of us who live in the city can see; those of us who live or who travel through certain provinces can see that, yes, the Government has done a lot of work in improving infrastructure. But one hon. Member has challenged the President and the Government; there is the manner in which this infrastructure has been distributed. During the last 15 years that I have been a Member of this House, I have decried the marginalization of certain areas when it comes to infrastructure. How many of these roads are in North Eastern, for example?

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you come from North Eastern and you know as much as I do that you only see tarmacked roads when you get out of your province. How many of these new roads are in Kitui County? How many are in Turkana? How many are in Coast Province? These pieces of infrastructure have been concentrated in certain areas. The President has a few months to redress this, at least by starting projects in these areas, so that we can see them. But he, his Ministers and Government stand accused. I serve in this Government and I have been very clear on this one; that the President, the Government and the Minister for Roads stand accused of bias and discrimination in distributing infrastructure in this country.

Therefore, I wish that will be taken note of.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Road B7 (Kibwezi-Kitui) in Kitui County is the only “B” category road in this Republic that is not tarmacked, yet they are tarmacking category “D” and “E” roads elsewhere! I am very bitter man when it comes to infrastructure.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, yesterday, we had a lot of rains here. I watched as water was passing through the streets; all going to the Indian Ocean. The rains that we had last night, if harnessed, can irrigate this nation for several years. But that water is going to the ocean, yet the Minister for Water and Irrigation says: “I am giving water to the Republic of Kenya.” Where is the water? Why is water being allowed to go to the ocean when people cannot even irrigate their farms? Why are people in Kenya going hungry even when the rains come, yet the technology has come to provide irrigation? May I request that the Government takes care of this water, so that people can grow their food.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member for Turkana South has talked about oil discovery in his constituency. We applaud this and also want to say that there are many other minerals that have been discovered. In Kitui County, two weeks ago, I led a group of my constituents to go and examine coal mining in China. This is because it is planned that coal mining will start in my constituency in two years. We have iron ore and other minerals. We want legislation and revenue sharing to be clearly defined, so that in those areas that incidentally have been marginalized in the past, but now God has come to on their side and minerals, including oil, coal and others are being found, revenue will be shared in a way that those areas will benefit, so that they can be uplifted economically. Therefore, before we even go into exploration of oil, coal and so on, we must set legislation that will guarantee the revenue sharing in a manner that will benefit the communities and, of course, also benefit the nation, because these minerals belong to the nation.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President talks about the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Women Enterprise Development Fund. In my opinion, these funds exist and benefit only certain people. I am yet to see youth and women in my constituency who have benefited from these funds. Therefore, I think that there is something missing in the administration and distribution of these funds. There is even another fund where the elderly are given money. It started many years ago as a pilot project and is still being piloted. The elderly are wondering because they hear that old people in certain areas are receiving money. There are some areas that, that money has not reached. If we want to be a nation, whenever we start a project in this Republic, it must be spread throughout the Republic, so that people can feel that they belong to the nation. I noticed that even the Minister of State for Special Programmes, when the money came, she rushed it to her constituency. This is where we are wrong. If you are a Minister in Kenya, you are not a Minister for your constituency. So, instead of taking this money to her constituency, she should have given it to some place in Turkana, Kitui or elsewhere. This is wrong and that is why we have that imbalance of development of infrastructure. This is because the Minister makes sure that, first, he sends money to start infrastructure in the President’s place, Prime Minister’s place, his place, et cetera. It is not acceptable if we want to create a nation. I believe this is why we have disgruntled elements all over. People want to secede because they feel cheated. So, we want the leadership of this country to address the issue of nationhood. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for once, I agree with hon. Karua about tribal groupings. How can you talk about national unity and at the same time encourage tribal groupings? We have political parties; we do not need KAMATUSA, GEMA or Akamba Union. We need Kenyans to be united as one and where we want to do politics, we go to political parties and not tribal cocoons. I am saying these things because the President talks of legacy. The legacy the President is already leaving in the economic area is good enough. We want him to leave a united country by denouncing publicly KAMATUSA and GEMA. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support.

Hon. Members, you realize that the gender aspect has to be taken into consideration. Yes, Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona!

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in supporting, first of all, I want to stand in solidarity with the families who lost their loved ones in the flash flooding in Hell’s Gate in Naivasha and Gwasi and those who lost their property in Lambwe. This shows the effects of climate change and the Government is not doing enough to mitigate these effects of climate change. I would have wished to hear more of that in the President’s Speech. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I note that the President urged us to pass constitutional laws that would ensure the implementation of the Constitution. One law that the President consistently forgets about, that we passed in this House, it is the Counter Trafficking in Persons Act. I think there is somebody who is hiding it in the Attorney-General Office, because even in the bringing this law into effect, they hid it and I do not know whether it is because of the fact that I am the one who brought it. But you cannot stop an idea whose time has come. There are many Kenyans who are dying because of issues of trafficking in persons. I, therefore, wish to remind the President that we have such a law which he assented to and it must be brought into effect. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to also urge the President, that when he talked about certain laws that would ensure free and fair elections, he tended to address Parliament much more than the institutions. There are certain issues that we are usually urged as politicians not to bring to the fore in order to ensure that the country is in peace. I think that if we brought some of these things to the fore, before 2007, we would not have had a crisis. I would, therefore, without giving much details, urge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to play above board and stop being partisan. I am speaking very advisedly. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to talk also on the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that the President spoke about. It is good that we are dealing with the issue of IDPs. However, in his Speech, he has not mentioned the alleged integrated IDPs. We saw them in many parts of this country. There are people who lost their limbs, lives and loved ones and we somehow think that through the miracle of God, they have managed to overcome. Could we address those IDPs and stop discriminating them on ethnic basis? Even if you go to Nakuru, IDPs are being treated very differently and I have said it before on the Floor of this House. We want a united country and must stop looking at people from the perspective of ethnicity. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the President for urging us to stop politicizing the International Criminal Court (ICC). I would want to urge him to magnify that statement because we know who is politicizing the ICC. Hon. Ababu has said here that there were some people who came to this Floor and loudly said “do not be vague, let us go to The Hague.” We went to The Hague and then started crucifying other people there; that they took us there. We know and I thank the Nation Media for highlighting and reminding us of what people said. So, let us stop politicizing the ICC. We went there and still need ourselves to stand together as a country. If we should think that coming back is the process, let us look for legal ways, but let us put blame squarely where it falls. We took ourselves there and so, let us deal with it. I also want to thank the President for noting that we have increased our universities and the intake has now moved to 200,000 from 20,000 in 2002. I listened to the Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology when she was talking so eloquently about universities. I am very worried and I am going to bring a substantive Question. I remember there were times when Kenyans would go to India to get degrees in law and nobody would want to employ them, because most of them were going to substandard universities. That is happening in Kenya. I have seen people who are putting up buildings which are smaller than a residential house and calling them universities. Some university colleges are operated above discos and they are calling them universities. Let this country be serious. We were known for high standards of education and I want to challenge my colleague and friend, Prof. Kamar, that women are known to produce high standards. Let us lead from the front by ensuring that high standards are maintained. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank the President for raising the issue of Constituencies Development Fund (CDF). There are doomsayers who keep on saying that it is unconstitutional. I am a constitutional lawyer and I do not know what is unconstitutional about CDF. It has helped marginalized parts of this country and the people who seem to oppose it are people who have benefitted in the past. Those of us who come from marginal parts of this country have seen the benefits of CDF. Therefore, it must stay. I also thank the President on the issue of food security but he seemed to again focus on agriculture. There are areas that rely on fishing only. Now there is a ban on fishing of omena. I went to Rusinga Island and Mfangano Island recently and the people there requested the Government to lift the ban and find alternatives of dealing with that issue because places like Uganda do not do that. Finally, on the issue of security, I want to say that there is a growing and worrisome trend of intimidating people in relation to the issue of security. I was a victim of an attack by thugs. I was attacked by six thugs. When I reported it to the police, the Commissioner of Police went ahead and said that I had politicized the matter and authorized that I should be arrested and charged. I am embarrassed and ashamed this morning to be a Member of the Law Society of Kenya; they nave suggested that Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo should be arrested when he has said serious things. If Hon. Jakoyo Midiwo has said that the Prime Minister’s life is in danger and there are people who are plotting to kill him, do you expect them to come and say that “I am the one who was plotting to kill the Prime Minister”? I do not care what people say about politicizing--- People only live once and we do not want people to joke with our lives. I was a victim. I was attacked by six thugs and the Commissioner of Police said that I was joking and I was politicizing the issue. I want to urge Hon. Duale to stop politicizing such issues because he will be the next victim. Now you may feel safe but next time you will be the next victim. Unfortunately, for you when you are a victim we may not be there to say the things you are saying. So, do not make us look like we are trivializing things when people raise serious issues. I want to say that I hope the judiciary will be unbiased because our police force is very politicized. I hope that our judiciary will be unbiased, and will be the last resort for Kenyans who are feeling intimidated and threatened by the police. But we will not shut up. Mr. Deputy Speaker, very finally on the issue of oil, I want to encourage that we learn from Nigeria and the Sudan. Let us protect the interest of the ordinary Turkana people and encourage cohesion and integration in this country. I speak harshly because I am very consistent about principles I stand for; one of them is national cohesion and integration. That is why when I see us politicizing things that divide this country, I will speak and I will not be scared. With those few remarks, I support.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to contribute to the President’s Statement which he delivered to the House. First of all, I thank him for his succinct, informative and highly relevant Address. I would like to say that we should give the President his dues. He has done a remarkable job in terms of economic development and infrastructure. The other areas that I would like to compliment him for is his efforts in the East African Community (EAC), where he is playing an important role to create regional integration, which is an important aspect of our role in African and world affairs. It is imperative that we speedily pass the pending important legislations that will entrench and deepen our democracy. This will not only enhance the credibility of this august House, but will also raise public respect to our political institutions. I would also like to applaud the Government, and especially the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), for a job well done in the collection of our national revenue. It has raised it from Kshs200 billion to Kshs700 billion. This is a phenomenal achievement and they deserve our congratulations. Only through the effective collection of revenue can we meet our development needs. Only then will we be able to banish the culture of “kuomba kuomba” and become less dependent on foreign aid and become a truly Independent country. This is something that we should emphasize as a nation; a nation that does not meet its development needs is not truly sovereign. We also need to ensure accountability and transparency in the use of those resources. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would also like to complement the President on his Statement on the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that the Government is allocating the necessary resources to resettle. We should do this with speed and I ask the relevant Ministries to implement this particular project, so that we get rid of the crisis that is facing those people who were displaced during the 2008 crisis. I would also like to urge the Government not to forget the refugees. We have refugees who fled from Kenya to neighbouring Uganda. It is important that the Government should also make them part of the resettlement programme, so that they can benefit, return home and become productive citizens. I would like to go back to the point of the EAC. I know the President is a Pan- Africanist and he is playing his role. I think he should put whatever effort is needed in that area to ensure that all these policies, mechanisms and legislations are in place for an East African Federation. I would like to see a united East Africa in my lifetime, and I think the President has done a remarkable job towards that particular goal. I would like to commend the role of our forces in defending our borders and the job they are doing. With respect to human rights, I am happy that our forces have not been accused of any wrongdoing or violation of human rights in the campaigns that they are carrying out in Somalia. I would also like to emphasize the President’s Statement that at the end of the day, it will be up to the Somalis to find a peaceful settlement to their crisis. I think Kenya can play a positive role by helping the Somali people to reach a compromise and have a peaceful resolution to their problem. We should not be seen to be supporting one side against another. We should not be a partisan force in the Somali crisis. We should play a balanced and a constructive role that will help the security of Kenya as well as peace and stability in Somalia. I would also like to commend the Government for the role it is playing in the current crisis between the two Sudans; the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan. I would like to remind our two neighbours that it is in their best interests to find a peaceful solution to their problems. Nothing can be gained by war. These parts of our region have been at war for so long and their people have suffered for so long. It is now time for them to find a peaceful solution to their problems. I think the Government should do whatever is necessary to stop the conflict between the two sisterly states in our region. Coming to the question of oil, I would like to complement what has been said by the “Sheikh” of Turkana South, where huge quantities of oil have been found. I would like to echo the statement made by my colleagues here, that it is imperative that the oil is used for the benefit of the people of Kenya. In particular, we should have a policy in which part of the oil revenue is used for socio-economic development of the people of Turkana. This is because without their development, there cannot be peace and stability in that particular area. Having complemented the President, I would like to say that there were omissions. I am disappointed that the President did not address the critical issue of social justice and equity, and in particular, the issue of growing poverty in our country and more so in urban centres. People constantly speak about the problems in rural areas. It is not that I am insensitive to the problem of rural areas but there is growing poverty in our urban centres. There is also hidden hunger in our urban centres. I can speak for those people in some of the urban areas in Nairobi who were affected by the high cost of living; the high cost of unga, sukari and mafuta . I think we need a policy on social justice and equity to uplift the standards of living of those people who have been affected by the economic crisis that we are facing. While it is true that our country is making great strides economically, at the same time, with this economic growth, we see poverty, inadequate housing, lack of basic health facilities, lack of clean drinking water and food insecurity in our capital city. Some few metres from our National Assembly, there are people who have no shelter and do not know where their next meal will come from. I think it is important that the Government pays special emphasis to the issue of social justice and equity. We have made some remarkable legislation. We have a new Constitution and we now have our democracy on a solid ground. However, I think it is important for our Government to focus on the next frontier which is that of social justice and equity. I think there are women and children who live with hunger in our urban centres. In terms of infrastructure, there are economic hubs like in Kamukunji which is my constituency. With the recent rains, many of the roads in Kamukunji are flooded. You cannot cross First Avenue in Eastleigh on foot. You need a mkokoteni to take you across because the roads is like a lake. While we are applauding the Government for the major infrastructural development that has been carried out in our capital city and in other parts of our country, we must also look at the gaps that exist. Many roads in areas like Gikomba and Muthurwa are impassable. Yesterday, when I left this House to go home, it took me three hours to get there because of the serious congestion and traffic crisis that exists. My constituency, in particular, which has three trading hubs, suffers from lack of infrastructure in terms of roads and health centres. The school facilities have fallen apart and we are doing what should be done through the CDF but this is not enough. I think the Government should look into those areas to ensure that we have equity and equal development throughout our country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to conclude by thanking the President and encouraging Government Departments to implement those important decisions that he has brought to the attention of this House. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I have a few issues regarding the President’s Speech to the Nation and to this House. First of all, I would like to say that I agree that many issues were debated here and brought to the fore. However, the first thing is that while the President spoke very well on the efforts to devolve this nation, it is a contradiction that the same President decided to veto the County Governments Bill when there were other options. He could have signed it and we could have looked at any amendments that could have been brought after six months. The County Governments Bill is the one that sets out the structures under which the county governments shall operate. Whatever else we say, if this law is not in place, it means that everything he spoke about the county governments stands negated by his own veto of the law that we passed here. The Bill went through the First Reading, Second Reading and Third Reading. The second thing is that the President spoke about supporting the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) now that we are going into a general election. He pledged that there will be massive civic education in terms of voter education because of the new Constitution and all the things that must be handled under the new Constitution. But it is the same President’s Minister for Finance who came here, moved a Supplementary Motion and removed Kshs4 billion from the IEBC. I spoke here and said that there is need for us to balance what we say and what we do. It is wrong and the President stands accused, through his Minister, to say that we will have massive civic education for voters when they are denying the IEBC funds to do that through a Supplementary Motion. I wonder whether the Minister for Finance was there when this passage was being written in the President’s Speech. This is obviously wrong and misplaced in view of the Supplementary Estimates which were brought to this House. The third thing is that the President spoke very clearly here and said that political parties should have a national outlook. He encouraged nationalism, patriotism among other things. However, we never heard the voice of the President coming out clearly to say that the GEMA and KAMATUSA meetings and any other tribal association where politics is the centre of those meetings should be stopped.

He never said anything. State House never talked. We have been speaking out there and saying that if GEMA and KAMATUSA are allowed, the next thing will be that we will have the Akamba people, the Luhya people and the Luo people meeting to endorse presidential candidates. What will happen to those of us who come from smaller tribes? Are we not part of this nation? Is the President not supposed to protect all of us? It was disappointing that State House refused to talk about this issue. When he came to this House, he did not touch the core. When you say that political parties should have a political outlook, you have not said that we do not want tribal meetings in this country. We must say the truth and live by the truth. This is wrong and the only person who can put a stop to this is the Head of State. That is my third issue. The President talked about economic development saying that we have hit 7 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. However, in a State of the Union Address, we do not want generalities. We would like to see the employment figures. Every time you go to the constituency or walk even in constituencies which are not yours but you are known, the one thing that is obviously there is unemployment right in the face of your walk. The employment figures were lacking. Why and yet you talk about economic development of 7 per cent and all those beautiful high sounding words from Treasury and yet, people are unemployed? People are unable to support their families. We expected more from that Speech. He should have told us that: “There are these problems and we have these plans to solve them in the next few months.” The President could have said: “These are the unemployment figures which we have and my plans for the next few months are to increase the employment to this number through this programme.” That is what we want to hear. Do not tell us that the economy has grown by 7 per cent. What does that mean to those boys in Garsen? That Speech lacked in material aspect.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the fifth thing is this: It was very sad that this Government and the President talked about ARV drugs and improvement in the distribution of the drugs yet, it is the same Government that has consistently, even when this Parliament was very strict, said that generic drugs cannot be imported into this country. The people who are carrying the AIDS virus in this country had to go to court to sue this Government and the Ministries for them to be allowed to import generic drugs. Is it, therefore, not a contradiction that the same President will come here and say: “We are supporting the distribution of ARVs to HIV people?” Something is lacking somewhere between what is happening in reality and what is happening on the ground.

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I respect what the hon. Member is saying but I think it is good to recall that even as he criticizes the Speech, he was in the Ministry of Medical Services that was responsible for the Anti-Retroviral Virus drugs (ARVs), and he did not do anything!

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, that is not a point of order! It is just a disturbance of my speech! I should remind him that, that one is an issue of counterfeit. It is not an issue of the Ministry of Medical Services. Mr. Assistant Minister, just be informed that those things fall under the Ministry of Industrialization and it was the Government which was pushing those things. Let me not dwell on that. I have one or two points

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we expected that when the President would come and stand here and speak to the nation, the people of Kenya were waiting to hear what is happening to a Government that is demolishing houses left, right and centre. The poorest people in this country seem to be taking a huge burden and the President should have said something. Those are your voters and your people. Those are the people who expected protection but nothing was said about the demolitions. Nothing was said about planning in those small areas so that people can be supported. Nothing was said about those areas.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have had the discovery of oil. I am surprised that nothing was mentioned at all by His Excellency in his Speech and yet, we must, as a nation now, talk about the establishment of an Oil Sovereign Fund. We must go after countries which have set examples like Sweden and Norway. They have set aside money that will benefit the rest of the nation. It is like a quiet thing. There are no plans. He did not discuss about the legislation which must be brought here, so that it can be a bipartisan effort in this nation where the discovery of that magnitude can benefit all of us. Even if you are a President who is going away, there are foundations that must be laid. When hon. Musila was talking about coal in his area; hon. Nanok talked about oil in his area and other places. We must have legislation that will say: “60 per cent of this shall go into an Oil Sovereign Fund. This money is going to be used in this and this manner.” That way, we shall remember President Kibaki. The roads are going to be spoiled. These things are going to go but the oil is going to be there for us for many years and generations to come. We should have seen an effort to set up a legislation that will be there for many years to cover what must happen when those minerals come out.

With those few remarks, I say that I have very few thanks, if at all, for this Speech that has been moved.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, thank you. I wish to support the Statement of public exposition made by His Excellency the President yesterday. I would like to applaud the development component that he raised. We have seen the roads. I know that my colleagues have stated that the roads are concentrated in one area. It is true and we also need to look forward to expanding. The network has to start somewhere and we look forward that, that network will be expanded.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also wish to applaud the President’s affirmation that he will deal decisively with groups that are calling for cessation like the Mombasa Republic Council (MRC). However, it is my wish that the Government stops putting under the carpet the underlying factors that are being raised by the MRC. There are genuine issues. There are issues of land. It is unfair that the indigenous people at the Coast do not have title deeds, whereas new settlement schemes at the Coast have title deeds. It is my belief that it is the Government’s responsibility to create dialogue with the MRC so that, when going forward, we end up having a sustainable solution to this problem so that external factors and political players do not misuse the course of MRC in the process of the Government knowing what the MRC are raising, and which are genuine issues.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the President raised a very fundamental issue regarding International Criminal Court (ICC). Yes, despite the fact that I was one of the hon. Members who supported a local tribunal, my colleagues who were not supportive of a local tribunal had their reasons. I had a different reason why I wanted a local tribunal. Having worked in an international arena, I understand that a Kenyan’s language and actions are easily misinterpreted by somebody who does not live in our context. I did not believe that a person from a different cultural context was going to understand some of the evidence that was going to be presented at the ICC. That is why I voted in this House for a local tribunal. I voted for a local tribunal because I believed that, at that point, the ICC was a fair judicial process. But in terms of cultural context, they would not understand the issues.

Let me give you an example. It is a common political statement to say: “Money has been poured to finish me.” If you tell a European the word “finish”, his understanding is that if you want to finish, then you just want to kill. But in Kenya, it means that you want to finish me politically or businesswise. But somebody from a different culture does not understand our context. That is why I was pleading with my colleagues to pass a local tribunal. That is because with a reformed Judiciary, you will be going before a judge who understands the cultural context in our country. The ones who thought that the ICC was a fairer process than a local tribunal have come to some understanding that it is more of a political than a legal mechanism. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to sit back and look for a legal mechanism to get out of this process.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to give you an example of what I equate our cases in the ICC to. I will tell you a story about two border towns. One is a Dutch town and the other one is a German town. The German town decided to have local solutions and resources for everything. It produced its own food, wine, courts and everything. The Dutch town decided that it was going to buy anything that is cheap. It decided that if it can get something cheaper than the cost that it will produce that item, it will buy that cheap item. That Dutch town is now dead while that German town is an industrialized town. So, as Kenyans, let us not applaud external solutions to our problems. Let us look for internal solutions. It is only when we look for internal solutions that we will have sustainable solutions to our problems. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, there are many people who have said that there are tribal groupings which, in their view, they are a problem and, indeed, they are problem. However, these same tribal groupings can be used positively. Those tribal groupings that people are criticising the most come from the two groups that fought the most in the post- election violence. We should be urging those groupings to have negotiations and discussions to deal with the core problems that made them fight. They can use those positive aspects to take us forward. It is very easy to criticise and see that people are tribalistic or nepotistic. A lot of the elites in this country say that it is politicians who are pushing it. Let us be clear. Even the elites in this country are beneficiaries of tribalism. When I turned 18 years in this country, I was told that I would only get an identity card if I identified with a tribe. I am Kenyan by birth and not Kenyan by tribe, but I have to identify with a tribe. When I told the officer who was to give me an identity card that I was an Arab, he told me: “There is no tribe called Arab. You must look for an indigenous tribe to relate to for me to give you an identity card”. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, when I went to university, the first person I met asked me: “Where do you come from?” I told him that I come from Nairobi. He said: “Only bastards come from Nairobi.” I had to identify a county to relate to. Everybody in this country is a beneficiary of some form of tribalism. I am a beneficiary of some form of tribalism. What I use with that benefit to ensure that tribalism in a negative sense does not take place is what should be my contribution. Let us not just demonise tribalism for the sake of demonising it because it is something that can be used positively and we can move forward positively. We had gone to great length to improve our recruitment processes for independent Commissions, so that we are able to give meritocracy a chance in this country, so that we can say that no tribal chief is going to give all the jobs that are available to his people. However, what we have created tends to give us people who have very serious political lineages for jobs that extremely require bipartisan non-political nature. I agree with hon. Millie Odhiambo, but on the issue of the IEBC, we need to deal with the fact that there is a problem. All those cases going to court about the constituencies are not for the sake of just taking the IEBC to court. There is a problem in the IEBC, where there is partisanship and clanism, and we need to deal with it. Sweeping it under the carpet will not solve this problem. There is a problem at the IEBC and we need to deal with it. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have a presidential candidate I prefer and I will campaign for that presidential candidate as far as I can go. However, my presidential candidate and my preference is not a matter of life and death. We, as politicians, must come back and say: “I do not care who is president.” I do not support Raila Odinga, but I do not care if he is elected the president of this country, if he can assure me that whether I am in this House or not, I will have peace, I will do my business and my children will go to school. So, as we create propaganda to make our preferred candidates perform better in the next general elections; let us think of Kenya first. At the end of the day, some people say “if my tribe is in State House, I will benefit”, but the presidency has not changed the lives of the peasant farmers in Central Kenya. It never changed the lives of the peasant farmers in Baringo when the President was from Baringo. So, ladies and gentlemen, for those of you who go to public rallies and create tension that is unnecessary, which will cause people to die; those of you who make stories that will cause insecurity in this country should go back and remember that even if you are not the one who will be held responsible for whatever will happen, you will answer to your God for whatever will happen. So, as you go campaigning for your presidential candidate, just know that it is not a matter of life and death. These are all human beings. They have faults. They have strengths. If they go to State House, you might even be removed from the inner circle, if you are campaigning for them because you want to be in the inner circle. With those few remarks, I beg to support the President’s Speech.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I will start by urging this House to find that the Speech by the President was deficient in terms of what we expected as per the Constitution. I believe that the President based his Speech on Article 132(1) of the Constitution. It says:- “The President shall- (c) once every year- (i) report, in an address to the nation, on all the measures taken and the progress achieved in the realisation of the national values, referred to in Article 10;”

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, looking at Article 10, I see the national values as patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution of power, the rule of law---

I pause there and ask myself: “Did the President address this nation and told this country the progress we have made in upholding the rule of law?” My answer is “no”. He fell short of telling us how this country has made strides in upholding the rule of law. An example can be given of what happened last week in Limuru, where a young man was brutalised and tortured in broad daylight. A period that we thought we had passed is happening today.

Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if the President stood here and, instead of addressing us to apologise to the nation for what the security apparatus did, I do not see any strength in the President’s Speech in terms of upholding the rule of law. What of human dignity? What was so dignifying in the way that young man was handled? Could the President tell us why his Government allowed the security apparatus to handle those young people in the way they were handled? Could he tell us why people were shot in their houses by the security apparatus in Dandora? We expected the President’s Speech to dwell on that matter. He never dwelt on that and, therefore, I cannot thank him for a Speech I feel is deficient and short of addressing the national values.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Constitution also talks about national unity. The President was very firm about the secession by the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC). I thank him for that. He was very firm about illegal groups, but I never heard him talk with the same zeal and strength about the tribal groupings of the GEMA and Kamatusa, which are also a threat to national unity. They are, probably, even a bigger threat because they have more following. The GEMA is a grouping of so many millions of Kenyans – much more that the MRC. It is more of a threat to national unity than the MRC at the Coast. We expect the President to show impartiality in condemning groupings that are not for national unity. That is what we expected. About discrimination, it is true that this Government had done a commendable job in terms of infrastructure development. Many people have spoken about this but as many others have also cited, the development is skewed. One may ask: “We have a beautiful road to Thika, but who prioritised Thika Road?” Why not Mombasa, which is our port? Why not Busia which is accessing the rest of the East African community? Why did it have to go to Thika? Have Kenyans asked themselves those questions? Fine, Thika may also be deserving but what of Busia? What plans do we have for it? What of Mombasa? What programmes do we have for it? Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you tell the people of Gwassi that there has been a lot of development in the road sector, they will laugh at you. They will ask you where. My constituency does not have even a metre of tarmac road and you tell me that roads have been developed, they will ask you where have they been developed? You provide Kshs200 million for roads in my constituency in the Budget, but you take it away in the middle of the year because you were not able to absorb it because you did not want to tender quickly. You take the money to the Central Province to pay contractors who have been working there and then you want me---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I have listened carefully to hon. Mbadi’s contribution, which is a thinly veiled condemnation of an area and clearly a trend of stigmatization of a people in the guise of---

What is your point of order?

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am coming there.

I am waiting.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, his contribution is stigmatization of a people in the guise of talking nationalism. He is talking about tribalism, but identifying two areas---

Just tell us what is not in order!

Sit down! I am talking. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, is it in order for the hon. Member for Gwassi to stigmatize a region of this country? Is it in order for him to purport not to understand that the construction of Thika Highway targets Garissa and other parts of this country? In his bitterness and ethnic hate he has tried to perpetuate--- Is he in order to use the Floor to accuse the people of Central Kenya? Shame on him!

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, how I wish that the road was developed in some other areas so that I could condemn those areas, but it is developed towards Thika and it has taken Kshs29 billion which another region has not taken. That is what I was saying and if it is hatred, I just want to ask the Government to balance its resources so that it is not seen that there is any hate.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on that discrimination, why is it that when some areas of this country have done something good they are condemned? Take the case of North Eastern Province, when their population rises, it is said that they have cheated in the census exercise. When they do well in exams, their results are cancelled. This is the discrimination that we are talking about. We need, as a country, to balance the way we treat other regions. The Suba people can never be happy with this Government. This is because we do not have the roads that some people are talking about. Right now, my roads have been swept away and I do not know whether they will be allocated money. I want to move ahead and point out what hon. Millie said. I remember very well when I was objecting to the appointment of Mr. Keriako Tobiko. I suspected that this independent office was going to be misused by some politicians to further their political agenda. I have now confirmed that the vigour with which certain individuals pushed for the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions was to help them in furthering their political agenda. I have never heard anywhere in the world where if I have some evidence that some people are planning to assassinate an individual and I make that information available after being requested by the police, later on it turns out that I am supposed to be taken to court.

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. Is it in order for the hon. Member for Gwassi to impute improper motive on the Office of the DPP and go ahead and prosecute a matter that is before court? We need to know whether that evidence is true. He cannot prosecute it here because we do not have questions to ask for them.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think hon. Amina Abdalla is out of order. There is no matter in court that I am referring to. If she got me clearly, what I was saying is that Keriako Tobiko received a report in the evening and the following morning he had already looked at it and made a decision. We have never had this. In the case of Nancy Baraza, even though I support Nancy, which was straight forward, it took very many days referring the file back and forth. However, this one of Jakoyo Midiwo took him a night to make a decision. Can you not see something fishy? Could the police tell us that Jakoyo recorded a statement and mentioned individuals? We have seen the names of those individuals. We have seen the statement which Jakoyo made. We have not seen the statement made by those others. Could the police tell us the son of this prominent politician? Who is this prominent politician who is a ghost? Can they tell us where the meeting was held in that office? Can they tell us what hon. Uhuru Kenyatta said? Can they tell us what hon. Githae said? Can they tell us what hon. Ongeri said? Can they tell us what hon. Ruto said? Can they tell us what this security person said? We have only seen what Jakoyo said being serialized. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I see an attempt of using Government institutions to frustrate, intimidate and blackmail some members of this society and we will not take it lightly. We will also not accept the draconian treatment that we saw during the KANU era, again, coming up at this age and era. We will not be intimidated and we will say facts as they are.

Thank you and I urge that this House finds the President’s Speech short in addressing national unity, non-discrimination and---

Order, hon. Members! We cannot have all hon. Members standing up. I have given the Floor to---

Why are they standing?

Hon. Member you have already concluded your contribution.

I have my time. Why are they standing?

Hon. Mbadi, can you, please, conclude?

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to just say that the President should know that he is the President of the Republic of Kenya. He represents both sides of the Government; that is the PNU and the ODM. He should be balanced in his Speech if at all he will ever address this country again before his term ends. I would only urge him that as a Statesman he should come and address---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy, Speaker.

What is your point of order, Mr. Koech?

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this House must be guarded and the respect for the people of Kenya must also be guarded. You have heard the hon. Member mention other people’s names to the point of trying to condemn Kenyans that we can go to public barazas, mention anybody’s name and expect the DPP to act on people on speculation. Is he in order to purport on the Floor that those individuals actually did what Jakoyo mentioned? We must protect the people of this House.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if the hon. Member listened to me, I only said we should get the statements from those other Kenyans. I am not the person who invited those individuals to the police. The police invited them and they made statements. What I am asking is: Can you make the statements public? I have not condemned anybody and I have not said anybody is killing but I have only said that make the statements public!

Hon. Member, I have already given the Floor to hon. Sheikh Dor.

Ahsante sana Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi ili nichangie---

Order, hon. David Koech! Order, hon. Millie Odhiambo! Can we have some order, please!

Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda ninakuomba unilinde kutokana na haya mazungumzo yanayozungumzwa kwa sauti ya juu!

Order, hon. Members! Let us give Sheikh Dor a chance to speak.

Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda ninakushukuru tena kwa kunipatia nafasi hii---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I oblige with your order that we should give the House decorum and respect. However, it becomes difficult to give the House decorum and respect when we are getting threats from hon. Koech that he is going to beat us physically and violently. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, if you want to ensure that this House stays in order, please, ask hon. Koech to behave with decorum because we also have hands and legs.

Order, hon. Members! Can we give hon. Sheikh Dor the time? I did not hear the threats being given by hon. Koech. I cannot assume that I heard that. Therefore, please, hon. Sheikh Dor continue with your contribution.

Ahsante sana Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kunipatia nafasi ili nichangia hotuba ya mheshimiwa Rais kwa taifa letu la Kenya. Kwenye mambo ambayo ningependelea kuchangia ambayo Wakenya wataweza kujivunia kwa kazi aliyoifanya mheshimiwa Rais, ninafikiri ni machache kuliko mengi ambayo tunaweza kujivunia. Mojawapo ya yale mambo tunaweza kujivunia ni masuala ya Katiba mpya. Tunashukuru kwamba ni wakati wa mheshimiwa Rais Mwai Kibaki ambapo tumepata Katiba mpya. Tunamshukuru, pia, kwa kazi nzuri ya kuleta mfumo wa CDF. Lakini mengi ambayo hatuwezi kuyashukuru; mengi ambayo yamezungumzwa hususan maswala ya barabara, ukija kwetu Pwani utapata shida ni zile zile. Mpaka leo maeneo ya Lamu na Taita Taveta--- Barabara kuu ya kutoka Changamwe, Miritini kuja huku Nairobi ni mbaya mpaka sasa. Ukiangalia maswala ya elimu ya bure, ingawa mfumo ulikuwa na sera nzuri mpaka leo kuna watoto ambao hawaendi shule. Moja katika sababu kubwa ni kwa sababu wazazi wao hawana uwezo wa kuwanunulia vitabu. Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, ingawa tumeambiwa kwamba hii sera ni ya elimu ya bure lakini vitabu havijaweza kupatikana kwa shule ambazo ni za Serikali. Haya ni mambo ambayo tunatarajia yangezungumziwa na inatakikana yafikiriwe kwenye miezi iliyobakia kwa sababu wengi katika wanafunzi ambao ni kutoka familia maskini, hawaendi shule ambazo ni za Serikali. Hii ni kwa sababu hawana vitabu ingawa tumeambiwa hii ni elimu ya bure. Pia, ningependa kugusia maswala ya Mombasa Republican Council (MRC). Kwa upande wa Serikali tunasikia mazungumzo ambayo yana tofauti mara nyingi. Mara utasikia Serikali ikisema kuwa wako tayari kukaa na kikundi cha MRC. Baadaye tunaambiwa kwamba Serikali haitaki kukaa na kikundi cha MRC. Umuhimu hapa ni kujua shida za MRC ni nini, au kwa nini MRC wakakuja na mfumo huu. Pili, MRC, haiwezi kukaa na Serikali kwa sababu Serikali imewaita wao ni kikundi haramu. Mpaka waweze kuondoa hilo jina la kwamba MRC ni kikundi haramu, ndio viongozi wa MRC watakuwa na moyo wa kukaa na Serikali. Sisi tunasema kama viongozi wa kutoka Pwani kwamba walichukulie hili jambo kwa utaratibu. Jambo la kwanza ambalo Serikali inafaa ifanye ni kuondoa kile kitengo kwamba MRC ni haramu; wakiondoe kwa haraka halafu mengine yaweze kuzungumzwa. Katika maswala ya uzalendo ambayo Mhe. Rais alizungumzia kwenye Hotuba yake, tumesikitika kuona kwamba huku tunaambiwa tuwe na uzalendo ambao ndio sheria na ndio sawa kwa sababu sote ni Wakenya na sisi sote nchi yetu ni moja, lakini wakati vikundi mbali mbali vinajikusanya kama Gikuyu, Embu na Meru (GEMA) au Kalenjin, Maasai, Turkana na Samburu (KAMATUSA) hatumsikii Rais akizungumzia kwamba vikundi kama hivyo vitaondoa uzalendo. Leo ni GEMA, kesho ni KAMATUSA kesho kutwa itakuwa ni maswala ya makabila mengine. Sisi tunataka Rais kwa siku ambazo amebakisha atuonyeshe kwa vitendo kwamba anataka uzalendo uwepo ndani ya nchi yetu. Moja ni kuondoa vikundi vya ukabila kwa haraka. Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda, tumeambiwa kuna pesa za wazee ambao wamefika miaka 65. Kwetu katika County ya Mombasa ni wazee wachache sana ambao walipewa hizo pesa. Kwa nini Serikali au kitengo ambacho kinahusika na Wizara hiyo kimewapa wazee wachache ilihali kuna wazee wengi Pwani ambao wana miaka zaidi ya 65? Tunataka wizara ambayo inahusika na maswala ya pesa za wazee iweze kuangalia wazee wote Kenya nzima na hususan Pwani na Mombasa County ili wazee ambao wamefika miaka 65 waweze kupewa haki zao kama vile wengine wanavyopewa. Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda, nikimalizia ninafikiri kuna jambo la muhimu sana kwamba sote kama viongozi, hasa viongozi wa Bunge la kumi ambao tumefanya kazi nzuri kwa kupitisha Miswada mingi ya Katiba mpya pia ni muhimu tuchunge yale mazungumzo ambayo tunazungumza kwenye hafla za raia kwa sababu huu ni mwaka mzito au ni mwaka ambao unaweza kuleta balaa hata zaidi ya mwaka wa 2007. Nikimalizia, nilitarajia Mhe. Rais wetu jana agusie yale mazungumzo yanayozungumzwa na America na Uingereza ya kwamba wananchi wao wasije Kenya kwa sababu hakuna amani Kenya na hakuna ulinzi. Ninafikiri huu ulikuwa wakati wa Mhe. Rais kueleza ulimwengu mzima kwamba kuna amani na ulinzi Kenya na watalii wowote wanaweza kuja na hakuna shida yoyote. Kwa hayo ninashukuru sana na ninaunga mkono. Asante sana.

Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to contribute to this very important Speech by the President. I wish from the outset to thank him for having presented a very well-balanced Speech which was able to cover most of the issues that are actually affecting the country today. Before I go to the substantive issues, I also wish to take this opportunity to identify with Kenyans who lost their loved ones during the Hells Gate tragedy where young people who had gone on a picnic at the Hells Gate National Park lost their lives but unfortunately, we have not been able to really address some of these issues that are associated with the disasters coming now that we are having heavy rains. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is also expected that as the heavy rains continue many of the other places where we are likely to have flooding should actually be zoned and the public should be advised accordingly so that we do not have a repeat of this. On the same note, we also had probably one of the worst accidents over the weekend where a Nissan matatu belonging to Mololine from Nakuru, which I represent, was involved in an accident and over 14 people died on the spot. All these people come from my constituency. I also wish to take this opportunity to pass my condolences, and more importantly, to ask the Ministry responsible, which is the Ministry of Transport, to be more vigilant and also to ensure that the road safety that you have been talking about is adhered to on the roads. One important thing that I would like to share about the accidents is that when we had the “Michuki Rules” the number of road accidents had actually dropped to a very significant level. You will recall that after Mr. Michuki left the Ministry of Transport he did not leave with any laws. But after he left we have seen the number of accidents increase day by day. Therefore, I think it is important for the Government, and also for the people who are concerned, to take it seriously that Kenyans are losing their lives every day. I think our roads are becoming more and more of killer roads than anything. With those few remarks regarding those two incidents, allow me straight on to go to the issues that the Head of State raised yesterday and once again to join those who have been able to be honest enough because sometimes when we come here we are more interested in the politics of the day than on the reality on the ground. To appreciate that for once in the slums of Kibera among other slums, Kenyans who live in those slums have now been guaranteed a different mobility. Before, people who lived in the slums could only move from one slum to another. But today through the Kibera Slum Upgrading Programme we have seen Kenyans move from those shacks to houses that have been constructed under the Slum Upgrading Programme. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this is a great thing happening to Kenyans. As you know, for a long time Kibera has actually been a major tourist attraction not because of anything good that is happening but because of the deprivation that we see there; the level of crime and the sanitation issues that we have there. But as we go there today we will see what the Government has done and has been able to transform the lives of Kenyans. I believe this will be replicated in other areas in the country and also to appreciate the lighting that has been done in those informal areas. This among other issues at the slum level, at the lowest levels of the lowest levels, has been able to bring a great change in this country. The Head of State was also able to congratulate Kenyans because today more than any other time we were able to finance our Budget up to the tune of about 95 per cent. This means that we have to rely on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other donors for only 5 per cent. This is remarkable. It will be remembered that a few years back we were relying on other donors up to the tune of about 40 per cent, which would have to come from outside. I remember a couple of years back Kenyans would be sitting, waiting anxiously to hear what the IMF or the World Bank had said. If you wanted to improve the welfare of the teachers or any other civil servant you would have to get the go-ahead from these donors. We are proud today that whatever decisions we make, we make them on the basis of what we have. My prayer is that in the few coming years we will be able to attain 100 per cent economic self-sufficiency through our tax collection. While on this I must say that we have also seen some of our partners in development who have actually been helping our country and we really want to thank those who have really participated in the economic development of this country, be it in sanitation or maternal care and some of these other projects. But we must realise that any country that relies on donor support will never be able to develop. All over the world I have not come across any country that has been able to develop through donor support. Therefore, mine is to thank Kenyans and to hope that one day we will be able to outlaw donor support because donor support has been coming with conditionalities that more often than not have been detrimental to our country and our long-term image as a country. The President also mentioned that in the next election we will be getting to a new phase in the development of this country because we will be having the county governments. These county governments can be as good as the leadership that we put there. Therefore, I also want to agree with what was said by the other hon. Members, that we must put in place issues of integrity; we need to operationalize Chapter Six before we get to the elections, because if we do not do that we will transfer the same problems we have had at the national level to the county level. Therefore, the benefits that are supposed to accrue there will, obviously, not reach the ground.

I will talk of prioritizing the Bills and I hope this Parliament will find it fit to bring the Bill that will bring to life Chapter Six that we have already talked about. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there is also the issue of agriculture. Every year we have been talking of famine. I remember in 2008, 2009, 2011 and I bet even this year, despite the heavy rains, we are bound to do that. We have heard very flowery language from those who are concerned about food self sufficiency, looking for alternative crops and not depending on rains. The gap between what we hear and what is happening on the ground is not reconcilable. Therefore, we want to say that in the area of agriculture, there is a big problem because we cannot talk of anything when we cannot feed ourselves. Countries that have the worst conditions--- Look at countries like Israel and countries that are basically deserts, they are exporting their products to Kenya. This has been said for a long time but I guess in terms of results, we have a long way to go; I believe as leaders we must address some of these things that have been said. The creation of the East African Community and the integration policy that we have adopted has ensured that Kenya, being one of the leading nations, especially in industrialization, has a huge market and we can deliver our products to the market. Countries like Ethiopia, for example, have a population of about 90 million people, but they do not have viable industrial sector; so, they offer a great market for many of the products that we have here. But as has been said here, we have had a major challenge in terms of road network; even if you produce all the goods in Nairobi and you want to take them to Mombasa, Tanzania and Uganda, there has been the issue of the road network. I want to make it clear that in the Ministry our first target has been the economic integration with these two countries. The road between Kenya and Ethiopia is our first priority. I am sure that hon. Members will admit that we have made significant progress and the part that is remaining is only 200 kilometers long. The road connecting Kenya and Tanzania through Namanga, we have substantially completed it. The road connecting Kenya to Uganda and substantially also to Rwanda and the other countries has also been done. Also, the road between here and Thika is not a road to Thika. This is a road that leads to Garissa and to another country; it is, therefore, part of our corridor for getting our goods across. It has been erroneously stated here that the reason that that road has been constructed is because it leads to some sections of this country. It is most unfortunate that young hon. Members who are here, and who should rise above political games can come here and state that, when we all know that if you do a count, the number of vehicles using a road per day, the highest number is on Thika Road. It was at 150,000 vehicles per day and no other road is even at 100,000 vehicles per day. Mombasa Road is the second one in this respect; as we can see we have major works there. There is also the assertion by the hon. Member who is not here now that, of course, all the money that was removed from there was taken to Central Province. I would like to know whether the Kisumu International Airport is also in Thika. Is the ring road that we are doing around Lake Victoria also in Thika? Therefore, when hon. Members get---

On a point of order, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I was actually listening very keenly and I would really want us to be clear about what Mr. Mbadi said and what Mr. Kabando wa Kabando said. I am willing to rest if, indeed, Mr. Mbadi said that the money was taken to Central Province. I stand guided. I know there are things that Mr. Kabando wa Kabando imputed Mr. Mbadi said, but which he did not say directly.

Order, Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona!

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, is it in order for the hon. Member to mislead the House about what Mr. Mbadi said?

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I am glad that you realize that, that is not a point of order! What I have said and I stand by it, is that my Ministry is guided by a principled approach in terms of resource allocation.

Order, Mrs. Odhiambo-Mabona!

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the hon. Member wanted to assert that money has been removed from their area and taken to another area. I think I had the opportunity to correct that. Quickly allow me to mention some challenges that continue to affect us. The first one is the issue of interest rates. The middle class in this country is suffering. I know there was an attempt to address this issue, but under circumstances that are not yet clear up to now that was withdrawn. In the next few coming months, we are trying to say that people who have been saving all their lives are going to lose their savings to banks; banks continue to record high profits every year. As a Government, this is an area that we may want to address. Lastly, in the Constitution we guarantee Kenyans in the diaspora that they will vote. Up to now we have not been able to operationalize and give them the opportunity to vote. Given the contribution of Kenyans outside and especially the remittances we have-- -

Order, Mr. Kinyanjui, your time is up!

Thank you.

Ninashukuru Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, kwa kunipatia fursa hii pia nichangie Hotuba ya Rais ambayo ilitolewa jana. Kwanza, ninataka pia nipongeze kwa juhudi ambazo Rais amejaribu kufanya katika ujenzi wa miundo misingi, hasa barabara. Vile vile, nataka kuuliza kwa sababu wenzangu wamechangia, ni kwa nini barabara ambayo inashughulikia bandari yetu ya Mombasa, ambayo inaleta pesa nyingi katika uchumi wa hii inchi, inakuchukua masaa matano kutoka Nairobi mpaka Miritini na masaa hayo hayo kufika Mombasa mjini? Lingine ni barabara ya kutoka Uwanja wa Kimataifa wa Moi mpaka mjini Mombasa, na kutoka Mombasa mjini kwenda Nyali, Malindi na kwingine.

Inachukua muda mrefu sana na hatujaona mikakati ya Serikali baada ya kuona umuhimu hasa katika uchumi wa utalii ambao umeidhibiti hii nchi katika miaka hii mitatu ya kifedha iliopita. Vile vile, kuna barabara nyingine muhimu katika sehemu ya Pwani kama vile barabara ya Voi-Taveta ambayo inaungana na nchi ya Tanzania. Tumesikia Waziri Msaidizi akiongea kuhusu Namanga na kwingine, lakini hatujasikia akigusia Pwani. Ukifika Malindi, utapata kuna barabara ile kuu ambayo ingefufua uchumi sana, hasa utalii katika County ya Kilifi; hii ni barabara ya kutoka Malindi, Kakoneni kwenda Salaget; pia kuna barabara ya ufuo wa bahari kutoka Watamu kwenda Malindi. Hizi barabara zingeweza kufungua uchimi kwa hali kubwa sana katika sehemu hii.

Tunashukuru kwa ule mradi ambao umeanzishwa Lamu ili kufungua bandari ya Lamu. Cha kushangaza ni kwamba huu mradi wa Lamu umeanzishwa wakati watu fulani katika Serikali wamejipatia ardhi katika ile sehemu ya bandari. Wamejipatia rasilimali zote kando kando ya ile bandari kabla mradi huu kuanzishwa. Je, hii itawezesha kuleta utangamano wa wananchi wa sehemu ya Lamu na Pwani na wananchi wengine wa Kenya? Kama tunaongea kuhusu mambo ya amani katika hii nchi, hatukusikia Rais jana akiongea katika Hotuba kuhusu swala la mipaka. Tume ya Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) imeenda kuhamisha watu ambao wameweza kuishi pamoja kwa miaka zaidi ya 50, na leo wanapelekwa katika vijiji vingine. Je, hii itaweza kuleta amani wakati wa kura ijayo katika nchi yetu?

Kuhusu swala la Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), nataka nieleweke vizuri. Ilitushangaza jana kwamba Rais alisimama na akataja MRC, ambayo ni baadhi ya makundi ambayo yanajaribu kujiunda katika hii nchi. Swala la KAMATUSA halikuwa muhimu kwa Rais kuliongelea. Swala la GEMA aliona si muhimu; lakini MRC ambalo leo ni kundi ambalo limekuwa katika midomo ya Wakenya na hata Serikali, aliona muhimu aongee. Kundi hili linakutana kila mara na Mkuu wa Mkoa. Limekutana na Waziri wa maswala ya ndani ya nchi na wamejadili mambo kadha wa kadha. Jambo linalotushangaza bali na lile la kujitenga kwa Pwani na ambalo si mjadala wa viongozi wa Pwani, nikiwa mmoja wao, ni kuwa maswala ambayo yanazungumziwa na MRC si mageni kwa Serikali hii. Kwa mfano, swala la ardhi katika Pwani ni swala nyeti. Ni swala ambalo limechukua miaka mingi kutatuliwa na Serikali yetu. Ni akina nani ambao wamejigawia ardhi ya Pwani, hasa ufuo wa bahari? Ni watu waliotumika katika Serikali zilizopita na Serikali ya sasa na wageni kutoka sehemu mbalimbali za dunia bila kutoa hata dururu moja. Ukichukua swala la uajiri wa wafanyakazi wa umma ambalo limezungumziwa sana na kundi la MRC, si swala geni kwa Wakenya kwa jumla na hasa Wapwani. Ni watu wangapi wa kutoka Pwani ambao wamefutwa kazi kwa muda wa miaka mitano iliyopita kutoka nyadhifa mbalimbali Serikali? Mmoja wao akiwa sasa ni mheshimiwa katika Bunge hili, Bw. Baya, Naomi Sidi, James Mure wa Kenya Ports Authority, Mkuu Wa Mkoa, Bw. Mwero, Zombo na wengine wengi? Hili ni swala ambalo kila mara watu wanajaribu kulisukuma chini ya meza. Kila mara tunaambiwa kuwa hakuna watu ambao wanaweza kufanya kazi hii au ile nyingine kutoka Pwani. Hiyo ni mifano ya baadhi ya watu kutoka Pwani waliotimuliwa kutoka Serikali hii na Serikali zilizopita.

Swala lingine ambalo ni muhimu pia kwa watu kulijua ni kuwa Serikali hii haijakaa kitako na kuangalia kikundi cha MRC na viongozi wake ambao pengine hawajachaguliwa na wananchi wakichukua uwezo wa kuendesha shughuli za Pwani. Sisi kama viongozi waliochaguliwa tumejaribu sana. Miaka mitatu iliyopita, sisi kama Wabunge wa Pwani tulikutana na Rais wa Jamhuri hii na Waziri Mkuu na tukawaelezea maswala kuhusu ardhi, uajiri wa wafanyakazi katika mashirika ya umma na wizara mbablimbali za Serikali. Pia tuliongea kuhusu watu ambao wamefutwa kazi ambao wako na uwezo wa kufanya kazi. Lakini mfano mkubwa utaona hata leo katika magazeti kuwa Bw. Kijana Nyale kutoka Kilifi County aliajiriwa na tume ya kuajiri polisi na barua tofauti ikapelekwa kwa Waziri Mkuu na kwa Spika. Bado mnataka watu wa Pwani wasione kuwa hili ni tatizo ambalo ni lazima litatuliwe.

Ningependa kuihimiza Serikali na sisi kama viongozi wa Pwani tuongee na kuona tutajadili vipi swala la MRC. Tusije kuwalaumu kwamba wanasema Pwani si Kenya; pengine swala lao lingekuwa: Kwa nini Pwani si Kenya? Hii ni kwa sababu hawa watu wote ambao wameachishwa kazi Serikalini ni wakutoka Pwani, swala la ardhi na maswala haya mengine yote yanafanyika katika Mkoa wa Pwani. Tumeambiwa leo na hata Waziri mwenyewe amekubali leo kwamba barabara ya Namanga imetengenezwa, lakini aangalia Voi-Taveta Road. Hata ile barabara ambayo ilianzishwa mwaka jana, haina hata debe moja ya lami ambayo imemwagwa juu yake. Hayo ni maswala ambayo ni lazima Serikali iyaangalie kwa udani sana. Ni maswala ambayo ni lazima Serikali ijihusishe na viongozi badala ya watu kutoka Nairobi na kufikiria kwamba wanaweza kukaa Pwani. Sisi kama viongozi wa Pwani tumejaribu sana. Ningependa kuwauliza Mawaziri wanaozuru Pwani kujaribu kuongea na kundi hili la MRC. Siku moja nilijaribu kuwauliza viongozi wa Pwani tujaribu wote kutafuta suluhisho la swala hili la MRC. Hili ni swala ambalo tunahitajika kulizungumizia kwa makini sana. Utamsikia Waziri wa Utawala wa Mikoa na Usalama Wa Nchi amekutana na MRC peke yake na viongozi wa mkoa halafu akirudi anasema ni lazima tutatue swala hili. Swala hili tutalitatua tukiwa pamoja! Kwa mfano, Serikali inaweza kugawa ardhi yake kwa watu wa Pwani. Pia inaweza kutenga kiasi fulani cha pesa kwa minajili ya maendeleo ya watu wa Pwani. Si haki kwa sisi miaka nenda, miaka rudi, tunazungumza juu ya swala hili la ardhi bila kuwa na suluhisho la kudumu.

Maswala ambayo nimeongea juu yake kama vile barabara, mipaka, ardhi na kadhalika ni maswala nyeti ambayo yanahitaji tuyajadili pamoja. Nikiunga mkono baadhi ya maswala katika Hotuba ya Rais, ningependa maswala hayo yatiliwe maanana na tushikane pamoja. Tusiwe kwamba makundi mengine katika Kenya yanahalalishwa na mengine yanalaaniwa kuwa haramu.

Thank you Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this good opportunity to contribute on the Presidential Speech. At the very beginning, I want to commend the President, first of all, as a Commander in Chief, for the decisive action he took to ensure that Kenyan security is guaranteed by allowing the Kenya Defence Forces and other security organs to remove Al Shabaab from our borders. That is a very commendable thing that the President did. That is decisive leadership and it is very good for this country.

Secondly, I sympathize with the leaders of the Coast. I would like to request them to talk to their people. The people came out to say that “ Pwani si Kenya .” That is what the President was saying that we will never in this country allow people to divide this nation. It is very important that political leaders; people who are elected to represent the people of this country put their priority as national unity, sovereignty and the integrity of this nation. The territorial integrity of this nation in totality will have to be defended by the political leaders who are elected by the people. So, the political leaders from the Coast Province have failed their people. They should have brought forward the issues which affect the Coast Province. We know that historical injustices have been taken care of in the current Constitution. We should approach these issues based on the Constitution. So, I support the President that we deal decisively with any group that is trying to interfere with the unity of this country.

I also condemn tribal groupings totally. I have condemned them during my rallies. I told the wananchi that this is Kenya and it does not belong to any political party. When you see some political leaders trying to advance their personal interests by converging tribal groupings like GEMA and KAMATUSA, they are misleading the people. First and foremost, there is nothing called KAMATUSA. It was an entity during the Moi regime and people want to revive it now for their political interests. We cannot accept that. The Maa Community does not belong to any grouping. It belongs to the community of Kenya. I want political leaders not to use the Maa Community as part of KAMATUSA because it is not. You can always rest assured.

I want to commend the President for directing the security organs in this country that we have to deal decisively with the Al Shabaab and any tribal grouping which is threatening the security of the country. We have to deal decisively with Al Qaeda . We have a problem of terrorism. We are threatened with terrorism through the Al Shabaab and we want our security organs to be on the look-out. We pay quite a substantial amount of money for the security of this country. Therefore, I do not accept to receive a warning from the American Embassy telling Kenyans that our buildings and hotels are under threat. I want that to come from the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, so that Kenyans are aware that the country has eyes and ears. The Republic is guarded by security organs which are funded and which are doing their job. We do not want to be told, as a nation, that something is happening in our country by another country. It is the responsibility of those who are governing us to tell us that.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the issue of infrastructure, the Coalition Government has done a commendable job. I agree with hon. Mung’aro that in the next Budget, the next road which requires to be brought up to standard is the road from Mombasa Port up to Mariakani. We need a dual carriage way there. That is really the main artery of this nation. That is where the resources are coming through. So, I recommend that the Minister for Roads should pick up from the Speech of the President and support the main supply routes in this country.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there are issues to do with bridges. There are certain roads which require bridges and they need to be considered. For example, when you look at the Namanga-Athi River Road, yesterday, majority of commuters were not able to access Nairobi. That is because the bridge at Kisaju was overflowing. You know that we train our engineers. I think they should be in a position to raise a bridge across a river that is likely to overflow. The water overflowing Kisaju bridge cut off communication and trade between Kenya and Tanzania. The same should be done in other bridges.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the President alluded to CDF. CDF has done remarkable development in this country. I would like to say that CDF should continue even in the current dispensation. The MP may not be the manager, but he or she should be in charge of the development in the constituency. The CDF should come as a grant. It is should not come through the Budget. That way, each constituency will benefit greatly from that Fund.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, economic stimulus projects such as health centres should also continue. I would urge the Minister for Finance to ensure that in the coming Budget, all uncompleted economic stimulus projects are funded so that, by the end of this Parliament, all those projects are complete.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I have a problem with Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF). The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government should come up and tell us how the billions of money which are annually allocated to LATF are spent. We want to see what development that Fund is doing. In my constituency, I have not seen any development at all as far as LATF is concerned. This is really very critical because that is a lot of money. It is more than CDF and we do not see any results out of that Fund.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Government initially introduced Kazi

. I would like to request Kazi kwa Vijana to be revived? If you are talking about unemployment, we want that project so that majority of our young people can get employment in our constituencies and counties. It is a very important fund which requires to be put in place.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and Women Enterprise Development Fund should be put in the constituencies, specifically to be managed by constituency committees. Currently, those funds are being managed at the Ministry level and we are not seeing much of it. They give us a million shillings or two million shillings and that is really nothing much when you talk about development.

Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when it comes to the issue of politics in this country, threats, political assassinations, political parties and migration from political parties---- It is the responsibility of the Registrar to declare those who have abandoned their parties illegal. They should abandon their seats. Whether you are a councillor or an MP, if you abandon the political party which sponsored you to Parliament, you should not be in that party. You should lose your seat. First, all the nominated people, whether they are councillors or MPs if have abandoned their political parties, they should lose their seats immediately. That is because that seat belongs to that political party. Our democracy has come to age. So, political parties must be strong. Those who abandon their political parties because of migration to other parties should actually lose their seats. That way, we will teach people a lesson. Democracy will take root in this country. This country will be stable and peaceful.

Madam Temporary Speaker, before I conclude, I want to commend the President for resettling all the IDPs. We want that to be completed as per the direction of the President.

With those few remarks, I support the President’s Speech.

Asante sana Mheshimiwa Naibu Spika wa Muda kwa kunipa nafasi hii ili nichangie Hotuba hii muhimu ya Rais wa Kenya.

Kwanza, ningependa kuunga mkono wale viongozi waliotangulia kusema mengi yametajwa. Nashukuru Rais kwa kutambua kwamba Bunge La Kumi limekuwa likifanya kazi ambayo ni muhimu ya kupeleka Miswada mbele, na akatambua ni Miswada gani.

Jambo muhimu ambalo ningependa kusema ama ningetarajia kusikia likitiliwa shime na Mheshimiwa Rais hasa katika upande wa uchumi--- Kwanza, hata mimi ningependa kushikana na Mheshimiwa Rais kupongeza Wakenya na kuwashukuru katika uzalendo wao wa kulipa kodi, ili kufanya nchi yetu iwe ikijimudu kifedha na kuelekea na sera ya kujitegemea ili badaye tuweke kando pesa za ufadhili katika siku za usoni. Mheshimwia Naibu Spika wa Muda, kitu muhimu ambacho ningependa kuona kimezungumzia na Rais hasa ni katika fedha ambazo benki zetu zinalipisha katika mikopo - yaani rates za interest katika benki zetu. Ni kitu muhimu sana kuweza kupatia nafasi Wakenya kuendeleza biashara. Wazungumzaji waliokuwa mbele yetu wamesema kwamba kuna hatari ya watu kumezwa kifedha katika mienendo ya kifedha katika sekta ya benki na kadhalika. Kwa hivyo, Serikali ina majukumu ya kuangalia kwamba imelinda biashara za mkenya pale alipo, na kuweza kuwezesha Wakenya wengi kupata nafasi ya kujenga nchi kiuchumi na kupata mikopo katika benki zetu. Kitu muhimu ningependa kusikia katika Hotuba hii ni kuleta umoja ya Wakenya kwa niaba ya kuishi pamoja.

Jambo muhimu ambalo Mheshimiwa Mung’aro na Mheshimiwa Nkaisserry walisema ni kwamba ukimwona Mkenya anaweza hata kutoka kwa runinga, kwa mfano MRC, na aseme yale anasema, ujue ni kuchoshwa. Ya kwamba pengine amevumilia kiwango mpaka sasa anasema: “Lile litakalokuwa na liwe.” Mimi ni mmoja wa wale ambao wanasema Pwani ni Kenya. Na ningependa Pwani iendelee kuwa Kenya bila kufikiria hata mara mbili. Lakini kitu cha muhimu ni kwamba tunataka kuona - na hili silo jambo jipya--- Ni jambo ambalo viongozi waliopigiwa kura Pwani, mwaka 2008 walikaa na Mheshimiwa Rais na wakamweleza zile issues ambazo zingali donda sugu katika maeneo ya Pwani. Issues hizo ndizo ambazo zinatumiwa na viongozi wa MRC, kama vile ardhi, barabara, ajira na kadhalika. Kitu cha kupewa kipaumbele ni kwamba watu wazungumze. Watu wazungumze, tuelezane. Ningechukua nafasi hii kusihi Mkenya yeyote pale alipo kwamba mambo ni mawili. Kama wewe ni mkenya pale ulipo, utambue ukenya wako. Hata ndugu zangu wa MRC nataka kwanza watambue wao ni wakenya. Kwa sababu ukitazama Mheshimiwa Naibu wa Spika wa Muda----

Jambo la nidhamu, Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda. Ningetaka Waziri Msaidizi afafanue zaidi kile ambacho amesema, kwamba kila Mkenya mahali alipo, ajitambulishe kama ni Mkenya wa upande huu. Je, Naibu Waziri, nafikiri sisi sote ni Wakenya, uwe Pwani, uwe Kisumu, uwe Turkana ama wapi, sisi sote ni Wakenya.

What is out of order with what he has stated?

Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda, naona kuwa ndugu yangu hajajua jambo la nidhambu ni nini. Nimesema hivyo kwa sababu sina raha kuona mtu anasema ati sisi ni GEMA; sisi ni KAMATUSA; tunataka tusikie kuwa sisi ni Wakenya. Ninasema hivi, hata kwa wale ndugu zangu walioko Mombasa; nawaambia wasiseme kuwa Pwani si Kenya. Ningefurahi hata viongozi wa kutoka maeneo ya GEMA, KAMATUSA na kadhalika wakisema kwanza wao ni Wakenya. Kwa hivyo hiyo isikutishe; pengine Kiswahili chakuchanganya. Baadaye tukitoka pale nje, nitakuambia kwa Kimombo ili uelewe vizuri.

Kitu muhimu ni kwamba zile shida ambazo zinawapata watu – na mimi nimepata nafasi ya kutembea karibu nchi hii yote; shida zipo, lakini Serikali izungumzie namna--- Jana wakati Raisi alisema kwamba Pwani ni Kenya, mimi nilimuunga mkono kwamba Pwani ni Kenya. Ningependelea aendelee kusema kwamba zile shida za watu wa Pwani pia tutaziangalia na kuzipa kipaumbele, ndio Mkenya popote alipo, ajisikie kuwa yeye ni Mkenya. Si lazima atoke Thika Road peke yake; hata yule wa kutoka Miritini, kwa sababu ni wazi. Mimi ningependa kumuunga mkono Bw. Mung’aro kwamba pahali pa kutega uchumi kama Bandari ya Mombasa--- Niashukuru Wizara ya Uchukuzi pamoja na Bandari sasa imeingilia mradi mkubwa wa kupanua Bandari ya Mombasa. Lakini pia tunasema ile barabara ambayo ingeweza kusaidia usafirishaji ili kuwezesha Bandari ya Mombasa kufanya kazi kwa wepesi pia nayo iangaliwe. Hii ni barabara ya kutoka Miritini had nje ya Mombasa. Hili ni jambo ambalo Serikali inafaa ilifanye. Hakuna mahali dunia hii ambapo mpaka leo wanafikiria kujenga barabara ya leni moja. Kila mtu akipanga kujenga barabara ndogo kabisa ni barabara ya leni mbili; yaani inapita magari mawili wakati mmoja. Kwa hivyo, tunataka kwamba Serikali ianze sera ya kujenga barabara. Ukianza barabara mpya, ile ndogo kabisa iwe ni barabara ya kupita magari mawili.

Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, jambo lingine ambalo Raisi alizungumzia jana, na ningependa kusema kwamba ni muhimu, ni kuwa Serikali inayokuja iwe na msimamo imara kuhusu pesa za Constituencies Development Fund (CDF); pesa hizi ni asilimia mbili nukta tano, lakini zimeonekana zaidi kuliko zile zingine ambazo hubaki katika mfuko mkuu wa Serikali. Ukiingia katika maeneo ambayo hata hayako katika miji mikubwa, utaona miradi ya CDF; lakini ni nadra sana kuona miradi ya Serikali kuu. Kuhusu barabara au miundo msingi, infrastructure, ni muhimu iangaliwe na ifunguliwe. Utakubaliana na mimi kwamba utalii unaleta karibu Ksh98 billion katika nchi hii, na bado hatujaona maeneo ambayo yanasaidia utalii kusonga mbele yakiangaliwa kwa njia ambayo inastahili. Tunataka tuwe na daraja moja au mbili zaidi za kuvuka kutoka Mji wa Mombasa kuelekea kusini mwa Mombasa na kwingineko.

Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, jambo muhimu ambalo mhe. Rais amelizungumzia katika Hotuba yake na ningependa waheshimiwa Wabunge na viongozi wingine kuliendeleza ni swala la usalama wa nchi yetu. Ninapenda sana kulishukuru jeshi letu la Kenya kwa kazi nzuri ya kulinda mipaka yetu na hasa vita vyao dhidi ya magaidi katika nchi ya Somalia. Ni kupitia juhudu zao usalama wa Wakenya wote utapatikana. Ningependa kumpongeza mhe. Rais juu ya msimamo wake kuhusu uchaguzi ujao. Yeye angependa kuona uchaguzi wa haki na amani. Msimamo wake ningependa sisi viongozi tuufuate ili kuwe na amani katika nchi yetu. Ninampongeza kwa kusema kwa uwazi yuko tayari kumkabidhi mamlaka kiongozi yeyote atakayechaguliwa kwa njia ya haki na amani. Hili ni jambo nzuri. Kwa hivyo, ningependa viongozi wote kumuunga mkono mhe. Rais na tuwe tayari kuwapa Wakenya fursa ya kuchagua viongozi wawapendao kwa njia ya amani na haki. Kenya kama taifa ni kubwa zaidi kuliko sisi sote viongozi na hata mhe. Rais and mhe. Waziri Mkuu.

Bi Naibu Spika wa Muda, ningependa kusema machache kuhusu siasa za nchi hii. Wengine wetu tumekuwa katika Bunge la Kumi---

Your time is up!

Hon. Njuguna!

Asante, Bi. Naibu Spika wa Muda.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I take the opportunity, first, to thank His Excellency the President for making a very inspiring, uniting and patriotic Speech to the nation yesterday.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the secessionist ideology, it is in our memory that the forefathers of this country and freedom fighters made huge sacrifices to liberate this country from the yokes of the colonialists and imperialists. Therefore, it is important that we support the position taken by the President, that all of us must be united to make sure that this country is peaceful and prosperous. It is, therefore, the responsibility of every citizen of this country to make sure that this country continues to remain one nation with one flag, national anthem and people. This should be the clarion call that all of us must make.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I noted that the President was very much concerned with the plight of the IDPs and, therefore, the Government has set aside Kshs2.9 billion to resettle them. It is, therefore, imperative that the implementing agent must utilize these resources to the benefit of the people who were affected. In Lari Constituency, we have IDPs at Kamae, Magina and Uplands. The Ministry of State for Special Programmes has not paid any special attention to make sure that these people are also settled. This settlement must be a national exercise and no discrimination should be noted.

Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I also note that the President did not mention anything concerning the destruction of forests. We noted recently that this country was affected by very serious drought. However, we continue to see logging of forests in this country. That must be addressed and the relevant bodies take immediate action. We also note that there is poaching of elephants in this country. Efforts must be made to control this. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, strikes are also eminent and continuous in the country. We have seen teachers, doctors and even civil servants demonstrating. This is a threat to the socio-economic growth of this country. It will even affect the quality of life of Kenyans. Therefore, His Excellency the President should have taken serious note of this serious problem. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on a smooth transitional Government, I laud His Excellency---

Hon. Njuguna, you will have a balance of six minutes when this debate is next on the Order Paper.

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

The House rose at 12.30 p.m.