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{
    "id": 1096427,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1096427/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 273,
    "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": "that time, we are like a blind beggar holding a bowl which somebody has placed gold and do not realise something very valuable is in there. As a country, it is high time we realised we have valuable water resources like rivers which should have well-planned irrigation schemes. Drip irrigation which is mostly done in green houses saves a lot of water, whether it is rain, river or borehole water. Through irrigation we can sell our food and animal products to many parts of the world where they do not have land like us and grow food on stones or very dry land with very little water. I believe with this law we will achieve this because we have many dams other than Thwake and the High Grand Falls Dam planned to be done between Tharaka and Mwingi West. It has stalled for about 10 years because some people went to court and stopped the whole operation. It was an irrigation scheme for the dry lands in Ukambani, Meru and North Eastern and it was meant to stop the flooding we see in Garissa and other places. All the good plans and irrigation schemes we have in this country cannot happen if they are not properly management, it all falls on management. I remember in the other Parliament Members from Pokot went to see the then Principal Secretary of Irrigation because we had set aside Kshs500 million for a certain irrigation scheme in neighbouring constituencies in northern Kenya. The year was coming to an end, this money could not be accounted for and the irrigation scheme had not started. They went to consult on what had happened and there was a little bit of strife between them and the PS who was later dropped by the Jubilee Government. We have to admit there have been challenges, the PS was also overwhelmed because he has to deal with other bodies. Synchronising the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation is important. We need to think of how we can bring in the counties, fund irrigation schemes and ensure they have a budget. The moment an irrigation scheme is set up, the community should benefit from sustainable food production and ready markets. This is because of post-harvest losses which have been terrible in this country. People produce food and at times they do not know where to take it. So, we need to bring all the irrigation schemes together since they are quite a number. Even in Mandera there are irrigation schemes because there are rivers too. One of the best ways of bringing farmers in these irrigation schemes together is through successful cooperative societies which are well organised, streamlined and work together with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the State departments dealing with irrigation and county governments. I think this is what this law is trying to do. As we have said in this House, Third Reading is very important because after all these ideas we need to amend and make the Act much better and more useful to Kenyans. We are facing drought challenges and a few days ago, we discussed an Adjournment Motion by the Member for Marsabit County here. The 25 counties including Makueni and Kitui are facing serious starvation and drought. When it rains a lot of water is lost and we need to dig small dams and drill boreholes as suggested by Members. Let it be an initiative of every Kenyan to save water when rains come. I believe, compared to many other countries, Kenya has enough rains. When the rains come we must have a way of harvesting the runoff water and the underground water like it is in Turkana now. The moment we are food secure, we can sell the excess food to other countries. We are still bringing in a lot of food from our neighbours like Tanzania and Zambia where they do serious farming of maize. We are bringing in legumes from India. I believe we can do very well as a country and this law is an improvement. Without proper amendments at the Committee of the whole House, it is still not conclusive. That is the time I think 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."
}