Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1025227,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025227/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 274,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Makueni, WDM-K",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Daniel Maanzo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2197,
        "legal_name": "Daniel Kitonga Maanzo",
        "slug": "daniel-kitonga-maanzo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute on this important matter. First, I want to thank the Committee for having visited Thwake Dam in Makueni Constituency, and also for having visited other dams and given a very good Report. Luckily, for us, the Committee was very helpful when it came on the ground; there is some progress on Thwake Dam. At least a third, close to 40 per cent has been done and the money so far, is commensurate to that. Although there have been complaints from local contractors and the local people not benefiting from the dam, we are hopeful that once the dam in complete, we will be able to produce electricity and most parts of Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Kajiado upon construction of Konza City, will get water for irrigation. This is good progress, but we have challenges. Currently Ksh5 billion has been allocated to this dam in this Financial Year. If we do so, then it will take many years to complete the dam. We need a double allocation if we are to complete this dam by 2022. Also, when the monies have been allocated and contactors have worked, it is increasingly becoming very difficult to get the monies moved from the National Treasury, the African Development Bank (ADB) and from the Ministry of Water to the contractors and the grassroots. I am hoping to work with the Ministry of Water and that of the National Treasury to make sure that Thwake dam is taken care of and is funded on time so that we do not have frustrations on the ground especially during this COVID- 19 times. One of the companies which has been troublesome there is called JTG Engineering. At times, because they have not been paid on time, they have problems with paying their workers and repairing their machinery which is broken down, and that is really wasting on time. Recently, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for water visited the dam, and I condole her family. I am doing my level best to make sure that whatever she proposed to the leadership and the contractor there is implemented. Although we had reduced workers during the COVID-19 situation, they can be brought back. We can take care of the youth and the local people, so that they can be able to get some contracts which will befit them so that the project can be completed as soon as possible. We are looking forward to that. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I must talk about corruption which has been going on with dams. I want to agree with your sentiments that investigations have to be done on Umaa Dam in Kitui County and Badasa dam because a lot of money has been stolen through dams and people have walked away free. Some of them have gone back to re-election using the same money and are chest-thumbing that no one can take them anywhere. We have PACand the EACC. These monies must be recovered from these thieves and be brought back to the nation so that they can be properly utilised. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}