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{
    "id": 1025239,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025239/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 286,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr.) Wilberforce Oundo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "the project without having put aside a budget for land acquisition and resettlement action plans for the people being affected. We end up with a project which has counterpart funding from the donors yet there are no local funds to compensate. Of course, as you are aware, for the past few years, there have been very many cases in court involving misappropriation of funds or unethical conduct by the people charged with acquiring land for this dam. Nevertheless, I believe the Government and the implementing agencies at various levels took into considerations the recommendations of the Committee. Probably the case of stalled projects, especially dam projects, will be a thing of the past. It is a very simple straightforward model. As much as they might have issues with the financing model that is being adopted, truth be told that a number of these projects probably with proper cost-benefit analysis have a positive NPV. If the project is properly structured, then we should be able to have a cost recovery both directly and indirectly. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, let me also concur with my colleague who said that a number of dam projects are designed to fail from the word go. I say this because there is a small dam in my constituency. It is under the Lower Nzoia Sector 5 Project. It was designed literally to fail from the word go. It was designed knowing very well there is no water inflow. The water inflow of the main stream has dried up because of deforestation and climate change. The engineers at the National Irrigation Board (NIB) designed hoping the water will come from heaven and just fall there. Indeed, water comes, fills through runoff but cannot support more than even 100 households. As we stand, the project has stalled since 2016 without any work being done there. I and Mheshimiwa Bunyasi have been to the NIB countless times yet nothing happens. We are simply being tossed up and down as if it does not really matter. That is why we need to be very clear that as we design and implement these dam projects, there must be adequate technical studies. Some of these people design while seated in their offices, probably using outdated google maps to design projects. That will not take us anywhere. Let us go to the ground, pick the details there and talk to the people. Most of them rely on streams or rivers. Things change over time. It is the locals who know. So, obviously, it is a good Report. We sincerely want the Government to move with speed and implement these recommendations. It is because these dams are part of the food security programme that we must have as a country. We must become food sufficient. These dams are critical. With those few remarks, I support the Report."
}