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{
"id": 1199648,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1199648/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Olekina",
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"speaker": {
"id": 407,
"legal_name": "Ledama Olekina",
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"content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir. Let me begin by thanking this House for being magnanimous enough and remembering the people of Arid and Semi- Arid Lands (ASALs) counties. I appreciate the former Governor, Sen. Ali Roba, for seeking this House to adjourn to discuss a matter, which unless we develop clear policies on how to deal with the drought, most of our population will be decimated. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you visit Kajiado, Samburu and parts of Narok Counties today, they are littered with carcasses of dead domestic animals. Two days ago, I went to Kajiado County to attend a function. I then happened to go and visit my land. I found myself praying to God asking him to remember us. There are things that we cannot control and those that we can. I am one of those people who give credit where it is due. I am happy to hear the President talking about issues to do with environment. I request him to go further and set a day every week for us to regrow our forests. Today, the courts in Narok County made a very good ruling when it came to the issue of Mau Forest. Before, we would move people out of Mau Forest. If you went to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, you would cry. That is our biggest Own Source Revenue (OSR). We generate anywhere between Kshs3 billion to Kshs5 billion every year. Before we saved Mau Forest, you would go to Mara River and find Hippopotamus crying, and that is what we depend on. Now, it is no longer hippopotamus, but human beings. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this is something very sensitive and emotive. I hope that we can develop policies that can support county governments when it comes to---. We were given five minutes, I believe I have not spoken for five minutes. The problems that we have in this country are all man-made. We have destroyed our forests. We need to start by taking the environment seriously. Secondly, we have heard that there is a lot of water in Turkana County. Today, if you go to Turkana County, you will also cry because people are dying. I remember during the campaigns, we would go and talk to people. We would turn around and say, ‘Jesus can we look for some money to help these people buy food?’ It becomes dire. If you go to Kajiado County today, 60 per cent of all the cows that survived are in Narok County because people bought them. On a daily basis, you will find people walking. It is really a dire situation. This time around, governors, please stop being greedy. Stop taking all the money that belongs to emergency funds and misappropriating it. I am saying this because I have been a Member of the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee. Sometimes, you see things and just say ‘God, please have mercy on us.’ Right now, we need to prepare. We might be lucky enough and get long rains coming in. County governments need to establish emergency funds. They also right now need to prepare and build water pans. If there is any money coming from donor agencies, let us send it to this (ASAL) counties."
}