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{
    "id": 1025219,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025219/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 266,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Igembe Central, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kubai Iringo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1574,
        "legal_name": "Cyprian Kubai Iringo",
        "slug": "cyprian-kubai-iringo"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, many of our resources in this country go to waste because of poor planning. This is not only in dams but you will find that so much money is used in projects in Kenya compared to other countries and at the end of the day, we do not reap from the said projects. Even putting up roads in Kenya, one kilometer of tarmac costs more than twice in Ethiopia and some other countries. I do not know where we went wrong. A dam is supposed to be constructed, water collected and that water put into proper use for irrigation, for animal use, for domestic use or any other use. It is very unfortunate then if we build a dam, let say in a forest, we clear the whole forest of indigenous trees but the dam does not benefit anybody. This is quite unfortunate. I have an example in mind of a dam in my constituency called Ura Dam in Nyambene Forest. That dam was built on almost one square kilometer of land and a lot of indigenous trees were cut down for the purpose of putting up the dam. Everything was done and up-to date, four years down the line, not a drop of water has ever been collected in that dam because River Ura that was set to feed that dam has never been directed to the dam. Therefore, it is just a white elephant. There are too many examples. Even water pans are dug in our arid areas, especially in my constituency, but they are never serviced. Once it rains, they are filled with silt and they flatten again and all the effort just goes to the drain. We need to revisit our priorities, especially when it comes to these projects. Proper feasibility studies should be done, proper funding and more so, the extent of the usage of where that water is going to be collected and who will benefit from it should be known. We cannot just go digging dams here and there and they are not helping anybody. These are taxpayers’ monies that is supposed to do other things. On issues of security, as one of my colleagues has mentioned, these big dams and water pans are very dangerous. They are left without securing them and it becomes very risky for the children and even passersby to slip and fall into those dams. So, when a project is done, let it be done properly from A to Z. Let everything be known. If land has been acquired, is it pubic land and what the benefits. What would be more beneficial? Would it be the indigenous trees that are cut down? How do we secure the dams? That is why, when we talk about Kenyan companies being given these works to do, we are letting ourselves down because foreigners are doing it better than us. Therefore, it just becomes ridiculous that we cannot do things for ourselves correctly, honorably and prudently but foreigners are doing it for us. We will then complain that the youths, women, people with disabilities (PWDs) and hustlers, those who do not have a lot of resources are not given jobs, but when they get these jobs, they do not do them. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we even have a problem with electricity; the Rural Electrification Authority (REA)…"
}