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{
"id": 1393429,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1393429/?format=api",
"text_counter": 228,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Moiben, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Phylis Bartoo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "cases of using traditional methods to get information or predict climate change events in this country, for example, when it is supposed to rain and in matters of religion. Sometimes, it is difficult for our Muslim brothers and sisters to tell when Ramadhan should begin because they cannot see the moon. Yet, such information can be easily predicted using information technology. It will also enable us to budget for the severe effects of climate change that are about to happen. Sometimes, when you want to travel, for instance, when you fly to Eldoret or any part of the world, you arrive and find it raining. If we take advantage of information technology, we will get timely and accurate information about weather patterns in other parts of the world. I want to give a case of my constituency, where we are in the planting season. The farmers are waiting because they receive mixed signals about when to plant, plough their land, or do any farming activity. They are using guesswork because they do not have clear data to predict climatic patterns to take advantage of. Right now, farmers are queuing at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) offices for fertiliser, yet they do not know exactly when to plant. They just imagine it is next week, two weeks to come, in April or May. Those who are planting maize are supposed to have… In the past, the planting season started in March, but it moved to April. The wheat farmers are supposed to plant in June or July. All this information is guesswork. The development and utilisation of this policy will enable us to have timely information, so that farmers can plan when to plant, harvest, and so on. Information is power. So, once they have information, they will carry out their activities without any hitch. We have scenarios of some remote places which do not get any information. If we utilise satellite technology, we will reach the extreme parts of Kenya. A recent case was when the government tried to get Wi-Fi to every region in Kenya. So, if that information is distributed, everybody will access it and use that data to make plans at the right time. Since we have not had a satellite-based climate change policy, every Kenyan community has been getting bits and pieces of information. So, everybody has been using this little information to know what will happen next. I believe this policy will solve all climate change issues and guide us on what to expect. The extreme climate change effects we are facing in Kenya, like drought and floods, which happen in some parts, kill people and animals or leave them suffering. I believe this policy will help us eradicate all this because everybody will have information about what will happen at a particular time of the year. Once we have information, we will adjust and plan our lives. For example, people are supposed to be evacuated from areas hit by floods. This should be done on time. Hon. Temporary Speaker, we should not just wake up in the morning, and it is in the news that floods have swept a whole village, or we realise that in a whole village, animals are dying because of drought. This is the information we should have got early enough for us to plan. I wish this satellite policy is established and implemented. This is to ensure every part of the country is monitored and given information on establishing their behavioural patterns. This will enable them to be aware of what happens every season and time of their lives. We have had devastating effects on our communities because of ignorance. They use traditional methods like the moon to predict what will happen. For example, we have cases of communities sighting the moon to predict or count the number of days they have to wait for the rains. Some use the stars by looking at their alignment to predict when it will rain or when certain events should happen. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the days when we should rely on such happenings are gone. In the 21st Century, we should use a satellite-based policy, just like in First World countries where technology has taken root, and everything can be predicted for an entire year. People are given that information for a whole year. 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"
}