Petitioner wants part of roads fund to go to irrigation projects

A citizen has sought the intervention of the National Assembly to have part of allocations to the Road Maintenance Levy Fund go towards the development of infrastructure development.

Boniface Gatobu on behalf of the Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a Non-Governmental Organisation that supports poor communities living in urban and rural areas, has petitioned the House to amend three laws to actualise his desire.

He prayed that the House intervenes to amend the Irrigation Act (No.14 of 2019), the Kenya Roads Board Act (No.7 of 1999) and the Road Maintenance Levy Fund Act (No.9 of 1993).

He wants the Road Maintenance Levy Fund changed to the Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Levy Fund to also cater for the development of irrigation infrastructure in all parts of the country.

The government established the Road Maintenance Levy Fund in 1993 to secure resources for the maintenance of the road network.

Gatobu is seeking to have the National Irrigation Authority allocated funds from the Infrastructure Development and Maintenance Levy Fund.

In the petition, Gatobu noted that the Kenya Economic Survey of 2022 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, showed the Agricultural sector contributed 22.4 per cent of Kenya's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He further stated that the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto appreciated the significance of the agricultural sector, and has committed to inject Sh250 billion over the next five years to boost the sector.

In addition, he noted that two-thirds of Kenya's land mass require irrigation, and that, only four per cent is irrigated.

“Having established that the matter raised in the Petition is well within the authority of this House, and further that the matters raised are not pending before any court of law, constitutional or legal body, I hereby, commit the Petition to the Public Petitions Committee for consideration pursuant to Standing Order 208A,” Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss said.

Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi noted that during the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) sessions, SHOFCO was one of the organisations that appeared before them with very progressive recommendations.

“It is, therefore, against this background that I wish to support that Petition. I agree with them that the legislation they are calling for is timely. It is overdue, if I may say so,” he said.

Navakholo MP Emanuel Wangwe termed the petition as timely.