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"id": 1114837,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1114837/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Central Imenti, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Moses Kirima",
"speaker": {
"id": 13317,
"legal_name": "Moses Nguchine Kirima",
"slug": "moses-nguchine-kirima-2"
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. I hereby stand to support Sessional Paper No.1 of 2021 that pertains to water as a natural resource for our people. We have been experiencing a very serious and worthy cause to be paid attention to, taking into account that there has been adequate water in this country especially in the Mount Kenya region. However, recently, we have experienced water shortages. As we speak, we are waiting for this season's rain as our rivers have dried up and what we remain with are dry waterbeds. What used to be rivers are now dry valleys. If you look at the intakes where water used to be tapped from, the water flowing through them is way below. However, many Kenyans have failed to realise this point: During the Kibaki Government, there was a Minister for Environment known as the late John Michuki who told us the eucalyptus trees have made Kenya a dry country instead of one with adequate water. We have been told by scientists that a mature eucalyptus tree uses 95 liters of water per day. You will find these trees in thousands of rows in these regions that I am talking about. They have thus ended up making our rivers dry completely. The downstream areas like North Eastern, parts of Kitui, Machakos and all parts of the lower Eastern have greatly been affected. This is because the rivers which used to flow from Mount Kenya are no longer there. We have really encouraged complete growing of eucalyptus trees. This is a big problem because when the late Michuki talked about it, it was taken seriously and people started cutting down the eucalyptus trees. But now, we have scientists who came with the idea that these trees do not dry up rivers. If you look at our old mothers, they used to plant these trees to help minimise water in the water-logged places for them to grow the crops. Those small areas which used to be chemichemi za maji used to dry up. Now you wonder why that traditional fact cannot be merged with a scientific fact to see that these trees are drying up our rivers and causing havoc. Unless a step is taken, we are going to suffer because we are too academic and ignoring the real facts. Groups like the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) which are charged with the responsibility of seeing that the environment is conserved and there is no interference with water catchment areas 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."
}