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{
    "id": 1021363,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1021363/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 375,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Maara, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kareke Mbiuki",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 79,
        "legal_name": "Japhet M. Kareke Mbiuki",
        "slug": "japhet-kareke-mbiuki"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. At the very outset, I want to take this opportunity to thank the leadership of this House headed by the Speaker and the Clerk for giving us the opportunity and the resources to undertake this noble cause. I would also like to thank the membership of the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resource for their commitment in undertaking these inquiries bearing in mind we moved across the country and visited various projects across the country. Therefore, I really wish to thank the members of the Committee. Finally, I would like to thank the Members of this honourable House for the overwhelming support for this Motion. I specifically want to thank Dr. Nyikal for bringing in the amendment that has been carried by the House. The issue of dams in this country has been extremely emotive. Members have raised the issues of the financing model, which is basically government taking commercial loans from other countries. It is basically a single sourcing way of procurement where the Government does not get value for its money. The other issue that has been brought in by the Members is that of land acquisition. You will find the Government moving ahead procuring for the project, but at the same time, they have no land. As a Committee and as a House, we are saying that before the contract is signed, the Government needs to ensure that at least it will have acquired adequate piece of land where the dams will be constructed. The other challenge which these projects have been encountering is the wayleave where the Government procures projects, but unfortunately, the other arms of Government especially the KFS under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry does not give the Government the wayleave, so that some of the dams can be undertaken inside the forest. This is despite the environmental impact assessment and other regulatory approvals having been there. You will realise that some of the dams can only be constructed inside the forest, so that they can help the residents downstream. The other issue which Members have highlighted is the issue of consolidating the construction of the mega dams to the Ministry of Water and Sanitation. Currently, we have seen the mega water dams being spread or undertaken by several agencies or regional authorities across the country where some of the regional authorities do not have competent engineers to undertake the mega projects."
}