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{
    "id": 1229071,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1229071/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 176,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Lemaletian",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The lack of rainfall also inhibits the ability of residents to acquire food and has led to eruptions of violence in this region. In many areas, the shortage of water in Kenya has been amplified by the Government's lack of investment in water, especially in the northern region. Mr. Speaker, Sir, another population that is affected by this shortage of water are the urban poor. Their access to clean safe water has been a challenge. This has led to reported cases of cholera epidemics and multiple other diseases that has affected their health and livelihoods. Despite this critical shortage of clean water, there also is a large rural-to-urban discrepancy in access to clean water in Kenya. Despite the progress made by county governments and other private bodies, it is important to review the causes of Kenya's water crisis to improve the situation further and to prevent future disasters. From my findings, the essential causes of the water crisis in northern parts of Kenya are drought, environmental degradation, poor management of water supply, and the rapid population increase. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would emphasize the drought effect since it is grievously affecting my people. Over the past decade, the northern region of this country has experienced a severe unending drought. Global warming is one critical factor that has prolonged the drought. As a result, millions of Kenyans living in the northern region are unable to survive and keep their livestock alive, which is their main source of livelihood. When drought strikes, many pastoralists are left to starve to death. Food aid is not sustainable. A marshal plan by the Government to build mega dams in each of the northern counties to undertake water exploration in Samburu, Turkana and Marsabit counties is much welcome. This will diversify the means of livelihood and economic activities in order to curb insecurity in the region, introducing agriculture as an alternative means of livelihood. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is about time to shift our focus from poverty eradication to wealth creation. I have keenly noted that poverty eradication in this country has heavily resulted in overdependence on food aid and handouts, which are absolutely unsustainable and create a culture of laziness. Agriculture will avert banditry. It will improve livelihoods and contribute to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country; given that we have 75 per cent of the Kenya’s land mass. Agriculture will completely shift focus on the endangered, unsustainable pastoralism and provide a sustainable alternative to our livelihood. Widespread famine has led to the degradation of forests, desertification, loss of livestock and consequently, human lives. Extreme drought has hastened and heightened banditry, poverty and school dropouts. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am orthodoxically calling for the renaissance of an agriculture revolution in the northern region of this country. The next billionaires in this world will be coming from agriculture and Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sectors. Agriculture is a low-hanging fruit for the vast, bare and fertile landmass in the north. It is the most realistic approach towards economic and youth employment, wealth"
}