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{
    "id": 1186990,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1186990/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 337,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "If that is done, the Ministry will have excess water that can be used for irrigation, whether downstream or upstream. So, it is important to do an assessment. As we pass our resolutions in this House, we urge that they be taken directly to the relevant Ministry, so that they start addressing that. A dam is not supposed to cause flooding; it is supposed to be a control measure in itself. However, that is not happening anymore because as I said, climate change interfered completely with whatever the Ministry had done at the beginning. Mr. Temporary, Speaker, Sir, after doing that, we should then relook at the other functions of a dam. A dam must release water for consumption. We have to take care of the rights of Kenyans along Tana River to consume water. It is sad that a river like Tana River flows downstream but nobody has water. People who live along the river fetch water from the river instead of having water supplied to their homes. I agree that a company like KenGen should have obviously done this for the community in form of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). They should have distributed the water to the neighbourhood for free because they are the ones enjoying. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, out of the resolutions that we have here, KenGen should do the right thing. I agree that they should feed the communities around them. If you have a dam, you can extract water for consumption and it does not cost much. They should provide for it in their own dams so that the water being extracted for consumption is over and above what they require. The danger that is usually there is releasing water back to the river in high speed such that it causes flooding downstream. They must control the water they release, not only for purposes of not flooding but also for having continuity of the river. They must only maintain the size of the river. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, My hope is that even as the relevant Committee addresses this issue considering it has come to this House, they need to look at the beneficiaries of upstream, midstream and downstream to extract water at the right positions. If there is need, we should have more dams than what we have now so that we have storage for irrigation downstream and storage that can be used to distribute water for the inhabitants of this country. It is sad that in this country, women are still suffering carrying water from the river. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, let me tell you what I saw when I went to Garissa, your home County. I am an environmentalist, so, I wanted to drive along the river. As I drove along that River I discovered a plant called Mathenge . It was introduced by a scientist called Mathenge in Baringo but was already in Garissa. This plant is scientifically called Prosopis juliflora . I have researched on this tree before. It is one plant that multiplies itself in the highest speed. There is no other plant like that. We discovered this plant had clogged River Tana. The water is clean because it is covered by this tree but the women could not reach the water. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, there is need to have a major plan along River Tana. We also need the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA) to relook at its own agenda. We have Authorities and bodies in this country that may have not reviewed their agendas for a long time."
}