... SPEECH BY H.E. DR. ALFRED MUTUA EBS, DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE MACHAKOS ASK SHOW ON FRIDAY, 28TH JUNE 2013 AT MACHAKOS SHOW GROUND Fellow County Women and Men, Allow me to thank all of you finding time to be at this historical Machakos ASK Show. It is historical because it is the first one to be held under our new System of Devolution. I wish also to thank, the Chairman, CEO and all ASK officials in Nairobi and Machakos for making me the First Patron of the ASK Show in Lower Eastern Region. I will use my position to promote investment in Agriculture for the benefit of our citizens. When I took Office on the 4th March, I pledged to make Machakos the Premier Investment Zone in Kenya. I pledged to organize my Government with speed and make us the County of Firsts. Today the whole Country is happy with the progress we are making in the various initiatives we have undertaken so far. On the 16th and 17th April this year, we held a very successful First ever Investment Conference in this Country at Maanzoni Lodge. Investors from all over the World have to date pledged investment worth over Ksh. 289.8 Billion which is more than a Quarter of our National Budget. In choosing to pursue investment, my Government is guided by the urgent need to create employment for our youth and grow wealth in order to alleviate poverty. We want to follow the successful path of Dubai and Slovakia that have grown from third World economies to Advanced Economies in a span of less than two decades. For investors to feel comfortable in our County we have to facilitate and NOT frustrate business. My Government will therefore be implementing several Policies aimed at attracting and retaining massive investment for wealth and employment creation. The days when you would call a Police Station for rescue and you are told there is no vehicle or no fuel will be gone in the next 3 months. We have allocated money to buy two Police Vehicles for each of our 69 locations for use by the Police. We have further set aside Ksh. 100M as seed money for setting up the First Forensic Laboratory for Crime Investigation and Research in East and Central Africa. We want our Police to respond to crime in less than 15 minutes in accordance with International Standards. Machakos will be the safest region in Africa. It is a Pitty our Mothers are still being driven in wheelbarrows and hand carts to dispensaries to give birth 50 years after independence. In the next 90 days this will be a thing of the past. My Government will buy and maintain an ambulance in each of our 69 Locations. The ambulance will fully be fitted with medical kits and an Emergency Medical Technician to respond to any form of emergencies. In order to accelerate wealth creation through Agribusiness, which is our Subject today, my Government will subsidise farmers with the aim of increasing the area under cultivation to over 60% of the total land mass within the next five years to increase crop yield. Mwolyo will become a thing of the past. In this year’s budget we have set aside funds to spur agriculture in this county as follows; • Ksh 50 M to buy green houses for organized women and youth groups • Ksh 10M for poultry farming • Ksh. 50m to subsidise the cost of fertilizers • Ksh.50M for Free certified seeds • Ksh.10m to set up a County Horticultural Farm • Ksh. 45M to buy tractors to plough for FREE for our farmers • Recruit at least one Agricultural Extension Officer for each of our 40 wards • Ksh.10m to buy Motorbikes for Newly recruited Agricultural Extension officers • Ksh.17M for rehabilitation and construction of cattle dips • Ksh 50M for construction for new silos for proper and safe food storage to avoid crop wastage through aflatoxin • Ksh.30M to buy crops from farmers for our strategic reserves in order to put money into the pockets of our people. Additionally, we have allocated over Ksh. 750M for Water and Irrigation Projects. I direct my Minister for Water and Irrigation to dig and equip at least 700 boreholes spread out equitably in all villages in our County by June next year. Additionally, dams will be constructed across the County to ensure proper water harvesting. We will also upgrade existing water treatment plants and introduce new in -expensive water treatment measures in preparation for massive reticulation (Piping). During the campaigns I promised clean drinking water to all our 300,000 households so that our People can take a shower at home. I commit myself to fulfilling this pledge within the next Four years. Ladies and Gentlemen, our road network is still in a deplorable state despite the huge investment to this sector in the last 10 Years. The Road from Kithimani to Makutano ma Mwala and further through Yathui – Ikalaasa to Kibaoni has been talked about for far too long without action. I recognize this road is still under the national Government. I have however initiated discussions with the National Government for the tarmacking of this Road. In our own budget this year I have set aside Ksh. 600M for rural access roads translating to Ksh.15M for each of our 40 Wards. I have further set aside Ksh. 100M for the improvement of the road network in Mavoko in order to support our existing Industries. In order to promote our Youth, I have directed my Minister for Finance and Revenue Collection to ensure that 30% of all the Government tenders are awarded to companies owned by people under 35 years from this County. In supporting the most vulnerable and poor in our Society I have set aside Ksh. 80M to support bright but needy students with bursaries, Ksh. 20M to support Youth enterprise, Ksh 20M for women enterprises and Ksh. 15M to support the elderly in our Society. Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to put everybody in my Government on Alert over Corruption. Public Offices are not for self-enrichment but for the service of the people. Any member of my Government who engages in corruption, influencing tenders or receiving bribes must today know that he/she will be sacked and prosecuted because we can’t steal from our hungry Mothers and Children. I personally have no mercy for thieves. (Hon. Ministers) Ladies and Gentlemen, we have many pro-people plans set out across all the sectors. In order to achieve our goals, I call upon all of us to join hands in payment of REVENUES. The share we are getting from the National Treasury is NOT enough to lift us from poverty. We will therefore be modernizing and tightening our revenue collection measures across the County in order to fund our development. In this regard, we will harmonize sand harvesting permit rates and charge Ksh. 60,000 and Ksh. 40,000.00 per month for 14 tonnes and 7 tonnes respectively. This is aimed at ensuring that Sand is utilized as a resource in a manner that is environmentally friendly and economically viable. Lastly, I wish to appeal to all our Leaders be they Political, Clergy, Business or otherwise to unite for the sake of our development. We can no longer afford time for petty squabbling when our people are still so poor. TRIBUTE TO MANDELA I now declare this Machakos Lower Eastern ASK Show officially opened. Thank you.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Jun 2013 07:58:14 +0000
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