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{
    "id": 1223616,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1223616/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 133,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abass",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13587,
        "legal_name": "Abass Sheikh Mohamed",
        "slug": "abass-sheikh"
    },
    "content": "It is high time that the Government had a plan and programme of restocking animals because that land can only be used for livestock keeping. It is also a high time we changed our lifestyle. We need to produce food. Seventy per cent of this country is marginal land. Food production can still be done under irrigation. Today, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are producing food in surplus. Kenya has better land and we have all the resources available. However, our priorities are upside down. We cannot rely on the Rift-Valley and the green parts of the country only to produce food for us. It is high time we changed our policies. We need to produce food everywhere, so that this country can be food secure. As it is today, 90 per cent of Kenyans are food insecure. We have become a country that consumes. We are importing food, fruits and other commodities from our neighbors in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia, whereas this country has better environment and land. We do not have serious policies that will enforce food production. We always ask for food repeatedly every year. Today, in this country, we have Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). As a result of animals dying, people have been affected. They are being fed by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It is a shame to this country. We cannot afford to have our people fed by organizations every time there is drought. It has now rained. The water is draining to seas and ocean. We now need to seriously harvest the rain water. Should the rains fail, we will have enough water in dams and reservoirs to take us through a drought. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, NCCC is new. Most of our councils and authorities that deal with climate change, are donor driven. They become moribund and useless after a short time when the donors withdraw the money. Therefore, we shall not always rely on donors. The Council should be fully funded so that it can have an impact now and in the future. Institutions like the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) are very important. They can help us manage drought. However, it is poorly funded. If the same Council that we are forming today will not get enough funds tomorrow, then we will have useless councils. We do not need those kinds of institutions. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I expected the Council to have the faces of the people who are really affected by climate change. The pastoralists who have been affected should have been part of this Council, to at least help people. They understand the effects of climate change. The next time when this kind of appointments are being made, I expect H.E the President and whoever is concerned, to at least give consideration. People have specialized in different sectors such as food production. Therefore, forming the Council is one thing but functionality and making a difference is another thing. The second President of this country, the late H.E. Moi, actually did a wonderful job during his tenure. We used to conserve soil and practice afforestation. As a result, I think our forest cover increased. We need that kind of public engagement. Children should be encouraged, and schools should practice afforestation, so that we can have better forest cover."
}