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{
"id": 1354624,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1354624/?format=api",
"text_counter": 450,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Fafi, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Farah Yakub",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I want to add my voice to the Motion moved by my colleague, the Member for Mandera. The main reason I support this Motion is not the El Nino phenomenon that we are experiencing, but the neglect we feel as a region. It is quite perturbing that a region of such magnitude, for the last 60 years of Independence of this country, is still crying for basic necessities like water and accessibility to health facilities. We are sickened as Members of this Government, and we are emotionally sad. We are sad that our constituencies today are water-logged. We cannot access them, we cannot get information from them and we cannot give them any information. The cry of the constituents is touching our hearts. Hon. Temporary Speaker, I come from a constituency which is vast. It is the biggest constituency in Garissa County. It is so emotional and sad to say that a constituency of approximately 20,000 square kilometres has less than 70 kilometres of classified road network. The said classified road is just the KeRRA road. The rest of the constituency has no classified roads. As a State officer, for me to visit every part of the constituency during the dry spell, it takes seven days because the constituency has over 100 settlements. So, you can imagine how long it will take me to visit every part of the constituency during this time of floods? Hon. Temporary Speaker, my constituency has been generous enough to host over 600,000 refugees. As I speak, 200,000 of those refugees are with me. Equally, there is an influx of refugees who are fleeing the floods in the lower parts of Somalia. It is sad that no assistance has been given to those refugees and the host community. We are sick enough. I add my voice to that of my colleague of Garissa North to say that, as Members of this Government, we expected much from the Government. We thought that the stories of neglect of roads, provision of water and health facilities are gone. We thought that this Government, which is appropriating its second budget, would provide substantial amounts of money to cater for the development of that region. I am sick to say that as I speak, the budget being passed had zero component other than the normal KeRRA allocation of Ksh62 million for my constituents and others. That is why today we speak with tears in our eyes, saying that we thought things would be different. I support and give thumbs up to my friend and colleague from Garissa Town Constituency, who said that we needed a substantive and strong message from His Excellency the President. We request the President to set up a command centre so that the people of Wajir South, who risk being completely submerged in flood water, can be helped. As we speak, the national exams are going on. The number of choppers hovering the skies of the northern Kenya region, delivering exam papers, are more than the number of choppers trying to save lives in Wajir County. Were it not for a few choppers from the Kenya Defence Forces, the people of Wajir South could not have been reached. We request our Government, which we support and which we have helped pass a lot of Bills, to stand strong with us, give us a hand and make sure that the people of northern Kenya and the entire republic who have been marginalised are supported during times of need. We request, appeal and require more from this Government. Otherwise, our cries will be a curse to them. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}