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{
    "id": 1191448,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1191448/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "NOTING THAT the residents of Tana River County have perennially suffered from acute effects of flooding and inadequate supply of water to its residents and their livestock; COGNIZANT THAT the challenge of flooding has predominantly been caused by KenGen’s release of huge amounts of water from the seven forks dams which combine with rain water from the highlands; FURTHER COGNIZANT THAT the hoarding of water at the seven forks dams and other significant upstream activities such as irrigation and small scale dams limits the amount of water that flows downstream through River Tana significantly affecting agricultural activities in irrigation schemes such as Bura, Galole and other small scale irrigation schemes in the Tana Delta as a result of inadequate water supply to the canals that channel the water to the irrigation schemes; CONCERNED THAT limited water supply to the hinterland and irrigation schemes cause severe hunger to the residents of Tana River, death of livestock and conflicts between farmers and herders, and that floods cause deaths, displacements and other challenges like waterborne diseases such as cholera downstream at Tana Delta; NOW THEREFORE, the Senate urges the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation in conjunction with the Water Resources Authority (WRA) to; i) conduct stakeholder participation before undertaking any major upstream activity including construction of dams, before the release of water during rainy season and limiting flow of water to River Tana during the dry season; ii) develop a policy in line with the Nile Treaty of 1959 to guarantee average annual flow of the River Tana; and iii) come up with mitigation measures to the perennial floods and water scarcity to the residents of Tana Delta. I would like to explain the basis of this Motion. For many years, the people living downstream River Tana have suffered and borne the brunt of activities that are carried upstream. We have nothing against developments being done upstream, but they have huge impact on the ecosystem downstream. The development upstream has caused great losses to the people who occupy the river basin in Tana River. This affects both the Tana River and Garissa Counties. The livelihoods of our people depend on what happens with the water as it flows from the highlands, downstream. When I was young, there was flooding of the river. When it occurred, water would recede which brought forth a beautiful planting season. Everyone knew that it was time for planting. People would plant on the rich alluvial soils that had been left by the receding waters of the river. There would be plentiful harvest. The delta used to be grounds for harvesting a lot of rice. Nobody used to talk about hunger in the basin of Tana River. It was a time of rejoicing and celebration, when the river would recede and the people would go and plant."
}