constituency public hearings, mandera east ... - ConstitutionNet

22who are educated, and even poor standards of education, the human poverty is very high. It is the highest in the country, I thinkit is even not official figures we are getting about 50, I think it should be above 80 to 90%. That is the poverty levels. So inorder to see human development in these areas, it must be enhanced. Because of the human poverty, there should be freeeducation. Because of this affirmative action, there should be deliberate effort to provide free education; after I must sayminimal upto 4 th form and if necessary to the university level, so that we have enough human development.On the issue of, I know it is a touchy issue on the federal system, it is a very touchy issue and it has been discussed, and we stilldiscuss among Members of Parliament, from the province and even other colleagues. The only issue is, this province is notdeveloped at all. While on that issue we will talk as Members of Pparliament from this province, because we have a uniqueproblem. You will give us a hearing, one of these fine days we will see you, is that the unit of development. The only fear,people now think they shall be divided, thinking about themselves. But if a unit development is done at the district level,constituency level, and there is equitable distribution of resources, we have no reason to ask federal system.But if you continue to remain an appendix, that is the fear and agter 37 years of indipendence, this province has nothing much toshow the basic, even the basic of basics are not there. The basic of infrastructure. You are talking about the basic of basics,we are talking of all social amenities. If you talk of hospitals, if you talk of primary schools, if you talk of the road network, youcannot even market your own ng’ombe or mbuzi, you cannot even take to Nairobi. Even the road to Nairobi, when it rains, if itis closed half a year, then what the people are saying is, “what is the need of having unity system?” This is what we are tellingthe people. But know Kenya is having more than 40 ethnic tribes, and if you have a unity system, it will bring us together, andwe have a sense of nation. But, what is happening is, if we are in the same nation, we have our resources, we belong to thesame country, why don’t we have the same. What is wrong with our planet? Why do they think that Kenya and North Easternis different when it comes to distribution of resources? This is what these people are asking.And that is the mind we are having. If we were federal, we would have minded our own things. We sould find our way, wesould find our policies. Livestock - Even Somalia which is the country which is selling its livestock to the Middle East, toEurope, and they are getting dollars. But in this country people don’t think about us. And they don’t care about us. So whydon’t we stay as hungry, think of ourselves, because necessity is the mother of all innovations and then we can do our things.So this is a subject that is very sensitive and I think as I promised you, we will talk about. People will say their individual things.But I’m saying,Com. Nancy Baraza: Basically what a re you saying, what kind of devolution do you want…..?Hon. Shaban: You know this is a subject matter that I think is still being debated, and when you came you brought thetimetable. Members of Parliament are still going round and then taking the people’s views everywhere we have not yet cometo a conclusion. But I’m saying, unity system was not bad, but what is bring about the issue: here we belong to the samecountry, the resources are (inaudible). If you get oil here, is for Kenya, is it for people of Mandera? If we get it here it is for this