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{
    "id": 1097081,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1097081/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 594,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "I am just highlighting a few things. It is a very simple Bill that we should be able to dispense of even with the Members who are in this House. The amendment Bill seeks to amend Section 34 of the Act to empower the Cabinet Secretary (CS) to make regulations to provide for the objects of the Bill. These include development of irrigation in terms of infrastructure, water storage and to provide for multi-agency consultation and coordination. To streamline the management of the National Irrigation Authority, the Bill also empowers the CS - with justification - to remove a member of the board who conducts himself or herself in a manner that is undesirable as a director, carries themselves in a way that puts the organisation into disrepute, as well as violates the standard provisions within the Leadership and Integrity Act and the Constitution. For anyone who flouts the provisions of Chapter 6 of the Constitution, there will now be that provision for action to be taken as long as they are members of the management of the National Irrigation Authority. This is for emphasis because we know it is already in the Constitution. However, because people seem to forget the Constitution and look at the law that appertains to them, there is no harm in repeating some of those things for abundance of caution as you say in your profession. I also note the contribution of the Committee. I am sure the Chairperson or the Vice- Chairperson of the Committee will be taking us through. I have seen the work you have done. I thank them for having gone through this and tabling a Report earlier this month, especially knowing that this Bill only came to the House not too long ago. The Committee members took it upon themselves to look at it. They are also making some suggestions on some amendments which I have looked through. I am in concurrence because I believe that they are all intended to make the Bill better. They are the ones who carried out public participation and have introduced some of those things that are required to ensure that the noble intention of the Bill is to support what we all need in this country and ensure that come rain or shine, we shall have food in this country. This country has 582,000 square kilometres. There is absolutely no reason why we should be looking for food from outside the country just, because we rely on only 20 per cent of that land. Less than 100,000 square kilometres is what we use for agriculture. The rest is left to God. If there is rain, let us have something; if there is no rain, we are all struggling to look for food from other places. Yet, we know that we have water that we can harness. Our rivers are flowing into the ocean. We have so much underground water. Just by harnessing all that water resource and converting it, we can provide food. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, if you travel from Nairobi towards Nakuru, all that area from Maai Mahiu all the way to Nakuru used to be dry land. When you go through there today, you will see it is all green. When you look at Naivasha, most horticultural products that are consumed in Europe come from there, courtesy of irrigation and yet, the whole of that area had been abandoned as range land. If you go to Kieni and all those areas where the weather is so good, only water is required to apply to the soils which is are so fertile. Obviously, with modern technology, even the soil’s fertility can be sorted out. They are able to get food from those dry lands. If you look at Ukambani, Taita and those areas, we are now getting good produce from those dry lands. So, it is just a matter of us, as a nation, re-focussing on what we want to do to ensure that the 45 million Kenyans who are living in Kenya and who are expected to grow perhaps to 70 million in the next 20 years due to that exponential growth of people, will find that we have put in place structures and systems to ensure that they have enough food not just for ourselves, but also for export. People will continue having food. One of the things COVID-19 has shown us is that it 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."
}