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{
    "id": 1265984,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1265984/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 282,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Alice Wahome",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Speaker. Let me start with the Galana-Kulalu Irrigation Scheme. It was indeed funded, and we did the first trial phase of maize farming on a 10,000 acres piece of land. There were many challenges, including compression by the specific contractor. However, we have taken up the issue. We have about three interested private partners or investors. This means that we will not go back to the Government of Kenya for funding because we have repeatedly said that there is no funding. One of the interested partners is already on site, and we have already entered into some arrangements. We have signed a memorandum of understanding for the trial stage, and maize is already growing there. They are taking up 10,000 acres. We have also received proposals for developing a dam to irrigate the remaining acres of the Galana-Kulalu land. As for the concerned Member, I can avail more details, but most importantly, we have not abandoned the Galana-Kulalu Irrigation Scheme because it is basically an irrigation land area. Over 350,000 acres are available for irrigation once we deal with the issue of water, which would be addressed by the development of a big dam that we already have and is already in the design phase. The issue of the irrigation master plan by Hon. Farah Maalim is a huge question that I may not be able to answer now. However, we are doing a lot of work in the northern counties like Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and Turkana. The five counties are under special or specific planning for mapping, groundwater mapping and surface water. And because you have also referred to irrigation, it may be important that you visit my office so that I can specifically understand what you need for me or the Ministry to address your question adequately. We have secured funding for ground water mapping to find out why the aquifers are worth Ksh20 billion under the Horn of Africa Programme. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}