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{
    "id": 142352,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/142352/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 330,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "The frequency of drought hardly leaves pastoralists, and other people affected by this disaster, within sufficient time to recover from past droughts. Ten million Kenyans today have been made very vulnerable to food insecurity as their livelihood bases have gradually been eroded. Kenyans are increasingly becoming poorer and poorer. Mr. Temporary deputy Speaker, Sir, drought is cyclic in nature. Drought is not an emergency. It is predictable. We know that after every three to five years, it is here with us. Our approach of dealing with drought in this country as an emergency is ill-founded. It has been a very bad policy. Drought is natural and a recurrent aspect of our climatic phenomenon. Drought is normal, and an inevitable aspect of the climate in dry lands. This nation should prepare for drought the way it prepares for the rains. The fact that drought is cyclic in nature should make our policy makers to predict the next onset of drought. If we are willing to address the problem of policy, since it occurs every three to five years, we should plan and prepare drought-related interventions, just the same way we prepare for the rains in this nation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, drought cycle management strategies put a lot of emphasis on livelihood intervention. When we invest in livelihood intervention in drought management, we will strengthen the livelihoods of so many Kenyans. This is very important, because up to now, our interventions have been aimed at saving lives, and not at securing the livelihoods of the people who are repeatedly faced with drought in this nation. This Motion is intended for the setting up a Drought Management Authority, which is envisioned to be a parastatal, or a semi-autonomous institution, to deal with drought management in the entire nation. The frequency of drought in this nation is known. It has happened 12 times in the last 30 years. In other words, it has been with us every three years. Such an institution will enable us to manage major disasters that have been happening in this nation every so often. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the envisaged authority will facilitate contributions from both the Government and donors. It will have the capacity to disburse funds to all parts of the country, especially the drought-prone areas, to mitigate drought in a very flexible, efficient and effective manner. Co-ordination of drought management in this country is a major problem."
}