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{
    "id": 1179901,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1179901/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 307,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abass",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13587,
        "legal_name": "Abass Sheikh Mohamed",
        "slug": "abass-sheikh"
    },
    "content": "At times when it rains, you see those rivers demolishing houses, destroying farms and killing people and animals. The same animals have no water the next day. After three months, water is scarce. Countries such as Egypt do not see rain for many years. Egypt that depends on a river that comes from Lake Victoria is a food exporter. We even get our food from there. A country such Somalia is almost a failed state. People have been in war for the last 30 years yet they do not have this kind of problem. So, you wonder, what are we supposed to do? We cannot always be crying for food. Children cannot go to school because some of them cannot even walk to due to hunger. They have no school fees. It is quite an unfortunate situation. There is no strategic plan. The only institution that was supposed to assist the NDMA. Every Government that come in transfers NDMA to useless places. There was a time they were taken to the Ministry of Regional Development, another time they are taken to the Ministry of East African Community and they were taken to the Ministry of Devolution at some point. That shows that nobody cares about these things yet that is the only institution that would be very useful to us. In Uganda, our neighbour, there is a Ministry for Karamojong’ Affairs. Do we know that 70 per cent of Kenyan land mass is Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) and 20 million people depend on these animals? There is no strategic plan or Ministry to take care of the interest of these people. So, what do we say? Can we say that we are only a burden to Kenya and not Kenyans? The way we are treated is a very unfortunate state. We have been given counties yet most of the money is held by the national Government. The money for livestock, agriculture and water has not been transferred. We have received less than 10 per cent. The rest of the money is just lying in Nairobi. So, how would the people living in those areas be helped? We need a strategic policy framework deliberately earmarked for Northern Kenya and other ASAL areas. I was shocked. I know the Meru guys may get annoyed with this, but last time when the Somalis failed to buy Miraa, Meru people were given Kshs1 billion to absorb the price lost. They were given Kshs1 billion for Miraa yet when our animals die, there is no compensation. This is double standard and we must know where we belong. Kenyans are now refugees in Ethiopia, part of Somalia, Sudan and in Uganda. Last time, there were so many Kenyans who registered as refugee. Today, they have gone back to the same place because they can get good as refugees. Their Government is not able to provide them with food. It is high time that we plan for this country. If 70 per cent of this country’s land is not required, then they should be told that they can survive on their own. We cannot be crying for food or drought yet drought is a phenomenon that is all over the world. In Europe and America, the whole land is covered by ice and fog for nine months. They do not produce anything, but they are never food insecure. The entire Middle East is dry like the Sahara Desert yet they do not cry for food. We do not hear about these things in Tanzania and Uganda. This country is bragging around as the middle developed country yet 60 per cent of its people are hungry and their animals are dying. I do not know what the hell that is."
}