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{
    "id": 1414183,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1414183/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 223,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We want to have a coordinated process to ensure each county budgets and provides funds for disaster mitigation and management. As Members of Parliament in charge of budget making, how do we ensure that the contingency monies set aside to deal with disaster management are appropriated for that purpose? We should coordinate so that when it is a county-level disaster restricted within a particular county, they can first utilise their resources before they go out to look for help. We have measures to know through a disaster management authority how to coordinate the mobilisation of resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a country we had to look for people in the private sector and corporate world, set up an ad hoc committee and mobilise resources. That was done to look for gloves or masks that were required to prevent loss of lives and further spread of COVID-19. All these things have served to remind us as a country that we are always ill-prepared, and are caught flatfooted when disaster strikes. It is high time we prepare in a way to enhance our resilience to the impacts of disasters and other risks. We are now in the discussions of climate change and how to mitigate issues to do with climate change. With the change in climate, floods and hurricanes have become common. If we do not take deliberate measures for re-afforestation, soil erosion and landslides would be common. We should have a system where somebody keeps check of what we are doing, both at the national and county levels. As we deal with climate change mitigation measures, we should also look at the effects of the changes in our climate such as floods and soil erosion which washes away all the good soil and nutrients that our crops need. This is exposing us to other disasters such as hunger, drought and landslides in landslide-prone areas like Murang’a and Elgeyo Marakwet. In West Pokot, a disaster struck about two or three years ago. There was a small unit that was meant to deal with disasters then, and was hosted by the then Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. The former Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Fred Matiangi told the country unashamedly, that he could not access the disaster area because of the weather at that time, while flying a military helicopter. The then Deputy President however, with a small civilian helicopter, was able to access the place. That speaks to the disdain and contempt that some of our public officers had with the Kenyan people, not relating to the suffering of the people when disaster strikes. It took the then Deputy President who is now serving as our President, to fly in a private chopper and mobilise resources from Kenyans to help the people of West Pokot then. I was hoping that the Member of Parliament from that area was here. You do not know when other such disasters will strike. We do not want to find ourselves in a situation where our 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"
}