Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 1354605,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1354605/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 431,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kabondo Kasipul, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Eve Obara",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this very important Motion. I thank our colleague from Mandera for bringing the Motion to the House. This matter should have been addressed as early as yesterday because of the effects of El Nino. Yes, I know we have been told that we were warned. Again, we were told that it was not going to be there. However, that is water under the bridge. We should move on as a House and see how best this matter can be solved. Hon. Temporary Speaker, we have seen desperate families displaced from their homes. We have seen crops destroyed. We have seen sick children and old people living in very unfriendly environments because of the storm or the El Nino . As much as the Member for Mandera South brought this Motion, El Nino has affected almost all parts of this country. Last week, I was in Mombasa for a four-day conference and it rained for four days and nights non- stop. The Bamburi area in Mombasa was completely flooded to the extent that we did not see the sun for four full days. We have seen floods in areas we never expected floods. For instance, we have seen what is happening in Dubai. It is flooded. El Nino has destroyed homes and houses. Yes, it is El Nino and it is serious. Hon. Temporary Speaker, what is our plan? What is our disaster preparedness? What are we doing as a country? From what we are seeing, and from the projections, the situation can only be worse. Even as we look at this phenomenon from the global perspective, what the weather authorities are saying is that the situation is going to be worse in days to come. What is our level of preparedness as a country? What are we doing for the people who are already affected and are out of their homes? What are we doing about the schools that have been destroyed? What about relief food? I saw many affected people on TV yesterday, even in the Oluch-Kimira area of my Homa Bay County. I saw affected people in the Ahero area of Kisumu County. They are also living in school compounds. They have no food, medicines or water. They have nothing. We are yet to see the relevant arm of Government reaching out to them. Relief food must get to these people. We must stand together as a country and speak with one voice so that our people can be taken care of in terms of provision of food, medicines, clean water and mosquito nets. This should happen not in two weeks’ time or three weeks’ time but tomorrow. I believe there are food stocks for distribution, through the relevant Ministry. We must start seeing this food going out. I do not know what happened to the Kenya Red Cross Society. They used to be very fast in responding to such matters but somehow, we are not seeing any action from them this time round. Our condolences go to the families that have lost their loved ones and cannot bury their dead because of the floods. Once again, I support the Motion. Our colleague, thank you very much for bringing it to the House."
}