Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1186965,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1186965/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 312,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mandago",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13577,
        "legal_name": "Kiplagat Jackson Mandago",
        "slug": "kiplagat-jackson-mandago"
    },
    "content": "Thank Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support the Motion for the distinguished Senator for Tana River on this mater of the activities that affect the downstream. The government agency that issued permits for the dams upstream without considering the effects on the down-stream should appear before this House to explain how that happened. Other than the water that is being released when there are rains that cause havoc downstream, it should be noted that during the dry reason, that river is hardly flowing because of the dams that have been established, The residents of Tana River County and the counties in which the River Tana traverses are suffering twice. They are suffering when water is released and they are also suffering when the flow of the water in the river reduces because Kenya Electricity Generation Company (KenGen) need to maintain the necessary level of water for them to generate electricity. As we appreciate the role of KenGen in the supply of electricity, which we all need as a country for industrialization and development, there is need for consideration of the downstream communities in terms of their livelihoods. Looking at the food situation that we have in the country, Tana River is among the counties that are adversely affected. That county has a potential for irrigation if the water will be properly utilized in consultation with the communities that live along that river. The Water Resource Management Authority (WARMA) should consider relooking into the environmental impact report that was submitted and before they relook into it, the Committee on Environment and Water Resources should look at that Environmental Impact Assessment Report that approved the construction of those dams in terms of the mitigation of the floods that could occur. As a House, we cannot forget the unfortunate case of the Solai Dam in Nakuru which has become a circus and it is never ending. Despite the fact that we lost lives, there is nothing much today that we can say has been achieved in terms of ensuring the safety of those communities or even compensation. In my view, we need the WARMA to table the Environmental Impact Assessment Report that was used to approve those dams for us to check whether KenGen has followed the laid down process of mitigation in case there are floods and when there is drought to ensure that they release sufficient water to sustain the river."
}