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{
    "id": 1025280,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1025280/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 327,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Isiolo North, KPP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Hassan Hulufo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13348,
        "legal_name": "Hassan Oda Hulufo",
        "slug": "hassan-oda-hulufo-2"
    },
    "content": "Therefore, as a country our Government may not be in a position to do proper due diligence and we end up with a situation like the one we have found out with the case of Itare where a company- which in its own home country is bankrupt- has been given a multi-billion contract to do a pan in our country. Another thing we have also seen is that even when we look at our own engineers in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, which we oversee, we realise that there are times particularly when the design is poorly done and as a result of that the dams are poorly sited. The sites of dams have to be changed, for example, in the case of Badasa. This was so in Badassa after millions of shillings went into construction. At times we have delays as a result of problems related to land acquisition. Contracts are entered into, companies are awarded contracts but cannot work because the land owners, be they private or communities, are not ready to give the land for the projects. These arises out of two main reasons: some of these big pans are constructed in one place and yet the water is meant for use elsewhere. Therefore, the local community may not give out land willingly. For example, most of the mega pans meant to supply water to the City of Nairobi are located in neighbouring counties of Murang’a, Kiambu and others. So, the local farmers who are displaced may not have a good reason why they have to give up their land unless they are adequately compensated for water to be supplied to people living elsewhere. This is why we have suggested to have the inter-ministerial committee to deal with the issue of siting, engaging communities, discussing compensation and acquisition of land before design is made. It beats logic that we can contract a company to do a dam when the land is not available; that should be the first step. Appropriate location of the dam and whether that land is available should be the first thing before we engage. Since I am running short of time, one of the key recommendations that we need to emphasise is the importance of funding the water sector adequately. This House has a responsibility of approving budgets. Water is essential and I appeal to my colleagues that we allocate enough resources to the water sector so that we can do away with this very expensive mode of financing which…"
}