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{
    "id": 774089,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/774089/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 220,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Nyamunga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 738,
        "legal_name": "Rose Nyamunga Ogendo",
        "slug": "rose-nyamunga-ogendo"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. As we know only 20 per cent of Kenya is arable. That means that the rest of Kenya is either semi-arid or arid. We cannot practice any form of proper or meaningful farming in those areas without irrigation. Our livelihood in Kenya depends on agriculture; anything else will come as number two. Our number one occupation and source of revenue is agriculture. Water is important; it is life to human beings, animals, plants and vegetation. So, if we do not use it properly, it will be of no use to Kenyans. We talk of Singapore and Korea and compare ourselves with them all the time. At some stage, we were at the same level of development with them. In the 70s - I do not know which exact year - Kenyan Government gave the Singapore Government a loan of US$10,000. From that same level of development that we were at par, Singapore and Korea have grown because they have done a few things right. One of the things they got right is the use of water and irrigation. If Kenya is only 10 per cent arable, what does it mean? It means that we cannot rely on rain for agricultural activities. We must seriously work on irrigation. It is the only way forward if we do it properly. I believe we, as Kenyans, have good infrastructure and policy papers. Anyone who has ever come to invest in Kenya, the first thing they said is that we have enough policy papers. Where do we fail? We fail at implementation where we do not do the right thing. If I may give an example of my county, Kisumu County, as it has been mentioned by previous speakers, it has the best land for agriculture. It has a big lake and the rivers that lead I to it. However, when it comes to poverty and development, we are among the poorest, reason being we do not use our water properly and the irrigation structures are not in place. For a long time I have heard about the Koru Dam on the Kisumu-Nandi counties border. I believe if this dam can be constructed, the whole of the lake region will be operational and irrigation can be put in place. We do not have to use expensive type of irrigation from Lake Victoria; we can use the rivers which will only need gravity when we construct dams. When it is dry, animals die and human beings get in trouble. When it is raining, like now we are expecting the rains, there will be floods. Nyando, Muhoroni, Nyakach, Busia and the whole of the coastal region will flood. I do not understand why we cannot fix these things, once and for all. When I was young, the floods and droughts were there. However, up to now, no structures of irrigation have been put in place. It is important that we walk the talk. We need to construct the dams in strategic areas. This way, we will do away with the challenges brought by drought and floods. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}