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{
    "id": 1372260,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1372260/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 305,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abbas",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill is in bad taste and it should be rejected in totality. I come from a pastoralist area. If tomorrow they say that water will be commercialized, my animals will not access the river because we cannot afford to pay and animals will die. The river and the dams will be restricted. So, we are going to miss water for animals. We are complaining of drought and all these things. If tomorrow the water is commercialized, the most disadvantaged people will be my community who keep animals in large numbers. About 20 per cent of them thrive on those animals. We have been told that we are going to build low-cost housing. It is a very good idea so that Kenyans can access affordable houses. However, what is happening today is that houses are being demolished and the houses that have been constructed will not be for the poor or the owner of the house that was demolished. So, this is a very unfortunate situation. There is a high affinity for commercialization. We have no problem if it will bring development. However, we should digest every action that the Government takes. I urge our colleagues in the National Assembly to stop being renegades in this country because they want to handle everything. Yesterday I said that devolution is under attack. This is one of the things that are going to finish devolution. Honestly, you are giving it to people who have never invested in any of the areas. The rivers are flowing and dams are being constructed in Wajir, Murang’a, Nyeri and other counties, then somebody comes with a bag of money and takes control of the water. He benefits through making a business out of it. This is what is happening in the low cost housing project. Government land is taken without being valued nor costed. It is taken freely, then somebody builds a house and sells it to you again. What are we doing here? The other day I was watching on the television what is happening in Gaza. People there cannot even access rivers. If you give to a commercial person the rivers and the dams we are talking about, then we shall never access water again. Do you see what is happening in Nairobi City County? We are thriving on water boozers. This City does not even have water. Water that is there and freely available is commercialized. Everybody has bought a water boozer and taps are closed. We are buying water at very high costs. With those few remarks, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to oppose this Bill."
}