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{
    "id": 1267953,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1267953/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 168,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. (Prof.) Kamar",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 33,
        "legal_name": "Margaret Jepkoech Kamar",
        "slug": "margaret-kamar"
    },
    "content": "That could form a major part of the agenda because we can look at the various sectors and have our committees get to serious business. They should go to the ground and establish how we can move our people out of poverty. Poverty has been with us for far too long. We should not be having anyone below the poverty line in this country. That is something that should have been solved in the 50 years since our Independence, but we are still faced with that. The country now has an opportunity because we have devolved funds. We have the National Government-Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF). There is also a Fund that was supposed to bridge the gap in this country. That is the Equalization Fund. The SDG No.10 talks about reducing equalities, both within and between countries. In Kenya, we have disparities within the counties. That was recognized during the development of the Constitution, 2010. At that time, the Equalization Fund was supposed to bring everybody to almost the same level within the first 10 years. It is now more than 10 years. We must start asking ourselves about the impact the money has done. The Equalization Fund was delayed because the matter was not resolved. Now that it is there, we need to ask ourselves what we can do. The Fund was meant to bring everybody to an equal footing as far as education was concerned and building of classrooms. Sometimes one wonders. We have children in this country who study under trees when we have millions in terms of the NG-CDF and more money to the counties. Why should our children study under trees? We still have water and sanitation issues. That is SDG No.6. Why should we be reminded every day that children are drinking dirty water? We need to seriously look at that. We need to know that water is devolved except for policy concerns. What are our governors doing? Could our governors give us a roadmap on how they are going to implement that? It is unfortunate because during campaigns, we tell women that as soon as they employ us, we will focus on the area of water, so that every homestead has water. How much have we done? That is a function of devolved governments, but how many homesteads have water? There is also the issue of ensuring there is zero hunger. This one saddens me a lot because I did agriculture. I was an extension officer for many years before I joined the university to lecture in the same field of agriculture for many years. However, when you look back, you ask yourself where poverty comes in this country and why we are still hungry. There is a time when every district had a National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) store. Food would be distributed immediately after harvesting when prices were still low. Therefore, farmers did not have to incur losses because of post-harvest season. Food was being ferried to various corners of the country. When I was a consultant for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Marsabit, I came across wonderful stores that could accommodate not only maize, but there was also rice from Mwea and maize from Trans Nzoia. You could tell that the maize had been transported for the sake of the people in that region. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}