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{
    "id": 142364,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/142364/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 342,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "was always to deny. We started seeing light. I want to thank the Government of President Kibaki. We started seeing light when NARC came to power in 2003. In the official inaugural address to this House, His Excellency the President made a serious commitment by Government to look into the issues of ASAL areas. This has subsequently been followed by the creation of the Ministry. This country lacks coordinated efforts. As I speak now, the Arid Lands Resource Management Programme is coming to a close. I want the Minister, when responding, to assure us that this programme will be extended. The precursor of the arid lands programme was a programme known as the early warning system. This country can proudly boast of an early warning system. What has been lacking and most wanting is rapid response by the State to consider the indicators to respond in good time to ensure that our people do not die. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also have Fusenet Programme that is funded by the USAID. It continuously produces information, including on the dailies. All the Minister needs to do is collate that data and make sure there is a trigger mechanism in place so that our people do not die of hunger. We will be ungrateful ingrates like in Things Fall Apart, whose trade in stock is character assassination, if we cannot appreciate the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who have been helping our people in times of crisis. Drought affected communities have been relegated to being taken care of by NGOs as if the State does not operate there. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, through this Motion, we want to shame the Government of the Republic of Kenya in its entirety. Even the attempts they have made are feeble knee-jack reactions. We need concerted efforts. This Motion is asking for a Drought Management Authority to ensure that these knee-jack reactions can be institutionalized. We should not just be left at the mercy of an individual. It should not be that when that individual is feeling happy, then we are all happy. When the individual wakes on the wrong side of bed and is in foul mood, then the whole Republic is in foul mood. We want to create institutions and organizations that outlive us. We want to put things in a position that it is not individuals that matter, but there is institutional framework, learning and response. That is why this Motion is calling upon the state to come up with a Drought Management Authority. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also want to thank the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Government, to some extent, for feeding our people. However, Kshs1 billion per annum is not enough. We need a minimum of Kshs5 billion. The entire location being served by the contingency fund should be given this food. It is very easy for the agriculturists to say that they want to carry out irrigation. That is not the solution. That can only supplement our food security. The solution is to develop the pastoralists economy that has been neglected for too long. I also give notice to the Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands, my good friend, Mr. Mohammed Elmi, and I wish him well. This issue is not just a matter of friendship. We did it in the Eighth Parliament and that is just living memory. I am sure many more things have been done before. This Motion was brought during the Ninth Parliament and the Government thought we were just playing some music. I want to confirm to the Minister, through the Chair, that the Standing Orders have given this House sufficient power through the Committee on Implementation. I know that the Minister will support this Motion because if he does not, then he has no business being in that Ministry. Once he supports the Motion, we will expect action. If he fails to act, through the Committee on Implementation, we will fix him. With those few remarks, I beg to second."
}