Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1229799,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1229799/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 32,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilifi North, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "the water sector is that while the Constitution devolves water, the laws and statutes that exist have not fully devolved the water function. Many functions have remained with the national Government. For example, the bulk water supply companies are still run by the national Government. This gives the counties an excuse to not ensure that water reaches where it is supposed to reach. I urge the committee that will take up this Petition to look at the statutes that regulate bulk water supply operations. We have the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation in this country at the national Government level. The Ministry is fully funded with lots of money yet the water function is devolved to the counties and the counties do not have the requisite money to provide water. We need to look at whether we really meant what we said in the Constitution – that, money should follow functions. The function of providing water is in the counties. There are very many counties suffering from water deficit and people are suffering. The budgets for water in the counties is very minimal. It cannot sustain provision of water in the counties. Why I like most about this Petition is the aspect of reviewing the statutes to ensure that water is devolved. If water services, as a function, is supposed to be devolved, let the funds be also devolved. Let the counties have the money to ensure that water is provided. In the Coast region, we have the Coast Water Works Development Agency (CWWDA) managed by the national Government. The big pipelines are managed by CWWDA, which is okay because they are trans-county or inter-county. Again, how much money do the counties have to ensure that they get water from the bulk supplier and supply it to households? Another important aspect is the cost of water. Today water is sold very expensively to people who do not have water at home. Even for those who have metered water, we have heard that water reticulation and the cost of water supply will now go up. If there is something that this country needs to do is to reduce the cost of water. The water companies in counties need to review their policies. We also need to look at the very many small parastatals that manage water. Examples are the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) and the Water Services Regulatory Board (WASREB). That is so that the cost can go down. If you drill a borehole today, as I have seen in Kilifi County, you have to get a permit and pay big fees. If you do not do so, WARMA will come and remove your equipment from it and seal the borehole. I always ask myself this question: What is the role of WARMA? Is it to ensure that there is water in this country or to look for money through borehole drilling? We need to collapse all the parastatals that manage the water sector and have only one agency to run water. We should then devolve the water function properly to the county level so that people in this country do not suffer from water deficiency. Thank you."
}