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{
    "id": 1114831,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1114831/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 237,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Yatta, Independent",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Charles Kilonzo",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 46,
        "legal_name": "Charles Mutavi Kilonzo",
        "slug": "charles-kilonzo"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. More than 50 years since Independence, we are still talking about shortage and lack of water for our people and livestock. When we experience drought, we lose livestock and money. When there is drought, we lose wildlife, which essentially means we are losing on tourism. On 22nd March 2000, more than 50 years after Independence, The New Humanitarian magazine quoted what was reported in the local media. This was the heading in the Daily Nation then: “Ten villagers were injured and eight monkeys killed in a two-hour fight over water relief delivery at Tabaka Trading Centre in Mandera.” That was picked from our daily media and covered out there. This was after tankers from El Wak took water to that trading centre. There were human beings and monkeys fighting over water which clearly shows that we lack clear-cut policies when it comes to management of water. As I support this Sessional Paper No.1 of 2021 on the National Water Policy, I agree that we need to work hard. There is a lot to be done. You will be surprised to know that I attended a function somewhere in Kitui where a girl was getting married. The in-laws-to-be were asked, “Do you have donkeys where our girl is going?” We were curious to know what the donkeys were for. They said that their daughter would not be used to fetch water. So, if there were no donkeys in the homestead she was going to, they would not accept. Many years after Independence, that shows you how our people waste a lot of manpower going to fetch water instead of doing other things. I liked part (iii) in the Policy which states very clearly, among other things, “To promote development of water harvesting and storage infrastructure.” The other day, I was very impressed by the National Irrigation Authority because of what they are doing in my constituency. They come to an individual homestead and construct a water pan. They move to another one and do the same. During the rainy seasons, those who have land can harvest water in their homesteads to use during the dry spell. This has also been done in the private sector. I want to quote two gentlemen. One 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."
}