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{
    "id": 1473305,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1473305/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 396,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I beg to move that the National Disaster Risk Management Bill (National Assembly Bills No.24 of 2023) be now read a Second Time. This is not the first time that this Bill is coming to this House. In 2014 or 2015, when we had the Westgate Attack, the idea to have an agency that coordinates our disaster response was mooted. Reading afterwards about that disaster, it was said that the first responders spent quite a substantial amount of time arguing on basic protocols on how to respond to disasters such as those and many others. There was an argument on who should do what, which commander cannot take orders from the other, and such issues. Therefore, the idea is to have an institution that coordinates our disaster risk management. It is unfortunate that it has taken this long. This is now introduced as a National Assembly Bill because many times, the Senate is magnanimous and rises beyond petty institutional ego wars. We proceed to consider this particular Bill, although I know for a fact and Sen. M. Kajwang’ will bear me witness, that the initial drafter of this Bill was the Senate of the Republic of Kenya through Members of this House. This Bill, as presently presented to this House, was published in the Kenya Gazette Supplement No.80 of 2023, on 31st May, 2023, and read for the First Time here in the Senate on 3rd July, 2024. As I have pointed out, the principal object of this Bill is to provide a legal framework for the coordination of disaster risk management activities at both levels of Government. It is important to point out that this has evolved because at that particular time--- If you follow through many legislations or if you are a keen follower of our legislative processes, you know that even at that particular time, even though we were in the devolution cycle, we did not do legislations with county governments in mind. I appreciate the improvement that has come of late where when you replicate or do a body at the national level, you try, much as there is still a lot more to be done, and replicate a similar institution at the county level. I agree most of the times. I know I am the Mover of this Bill. Therefore, I should move the Bill as is and leave it to the House to inform the second and final stages on how to amend and perhaps make the Bill better because a good idea can always give way to a better idea. I must put a disclaimer that I have insisted and have sent this to all authorities including the highest office of the land, that I am not comfortable at all with the creation of any new agency in this country. We have sufficient agencies to do all or anything that arises. Therefore, if there is thinking that a certain new agency needs to be brought on board like now this particular National Disaster Risk Management Agency, then such legislations must be accompanied by transition clauses of which other institutions we are The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}