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{
    "id": 1096481,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1096481/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 327,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. Let me start by thanking Members who have been contributing to this Bill. Initially when we started on this matter yesterday, I did not expect there would be so much interest, but Member after Member have been so passionate. This adds to the whole issue of water is life. We are a food insecure country and yet we can turn it round to make it food secure. Like I said in my moving notes, Kenya is endowed with such land mass, but only about 20 per cent is in use. I think the matter has been updated by the Member for Kiambu who has defined further that the arable land is only around 10 per cent. I am sure there is a whole 90 per cent that can be turned around. A number of issues have risen and we will be looking through them, guided by the ruling of the Hon. Speaker earlier on. We will be looking through and the Committee will be looking through the Hansard for all the issues that have been raised by the Members. I know Hon. (Dr.) Oundo has promised to bring some amendments. Hon. Nduati raised the issue of whether some of those organisations mentioned exist. We will be confirming that because the information that I have is that the National Irrigation Farmers Association actually exists, but we will confirm that and if need be, we will then bring the necessary amendments to align the Bill to reality. I do not need to belabour much as the Committee has done its work quite well in terms of looking at the Bill and has also brought some amendments which I agree with and hence we will be consolidating them plus any other that Members will be bringing. At the end of it all, we need to have an Act of Parliament that supports a key cord of the Big Four Agenda, which is ensuring food security. That is basically why we need this Bill aligned to ensure that irrigation matters are properly addressed and there is no conflict of interest between the various ministries. We must ensure that dams are being dug up around the country and that water pans can then be harnessed to ensure that no Kenyan will sleep hungry on account of lack of food because of the legal infrastructure not being in place to guarantee that farmers can have the necessary support that they require in terms of irrigation. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, with those words, I do not need to belabour what has basically been a Bill that has been agreed upon. I would like to once again thank the Members and the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources for the good work and ask those who have amendments to bring them. At least, we now have one month, so that we do not 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."
}