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{
    "id": 1473326,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1473326/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 417,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Sifuna",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13599,
        "legal_name": "Sifuna Edwin Watenya",
        "slug": "sifuna-edwin-watenya"
    },
    "content": "management is shared, you should see that reflected even in the composition of the board or the authority. However, if look at Clause 9 on the composition of the authority, five out of the nine members are direct national Government appointees, yet this is a shared function. There is only one representative from the Council of Governors (CoG). That is an imbalance that we continue to protest as a Senate. We feel that if a function is shared, then it should reflect even in the balance of the numbers in the management of the authority. Clause 29 attempts to classify disasters as either national or county. I do not see the wisdom behind classification of a disaster. If you look at Clause 29(4), it attempts to classify a county disaster as a disaster that only affects it. If it affects a single county, then that is a county disaster. This is totally unnecessary. You cannot tell me, for instance, the disaster that befell the people of Maai Mahiu, because it was confined to one county, it is a disaster that should be relegated to a county disaster status or the Solai Dam Tragedy or Hillside Academy Endarasha fire tragedy or Toi Market or Westgate or Garissa University. Those are disasters that require national attention. Madam Temporary Speaker, I say this because if you go to Clause 30 of the proposed Bill, it only applies when it comes to something classified as a national disaster. It is only in those instances that the President can then declare a state of disaster in the country, that then allows the release of resources, equipment and even essential goods, to be able to help those people. Madam Temporary Speaker, I think this is superfluous. There is no need for us to classify disasters. Let each disaster be judged on a case-to-case basis. All the resources of the country should be available to help our people, whether the disaster crosses boundaries of counties or not. Madam Temporary Speaker, the next one is on the qualifications of the people who are supposed to man their authority and what they call the County Disaster Risk Centres. We had a very hilarious exchange here in Nairobi with the County Disaster Management Team. When you look at the qualifications of the people managing, say, fire in Nairobi, we had a very clear mismatch of skill and responsibility. We had people with degrees in theology and you hear he is the one who is the head of fire response in Nairobi. We are not saying that people with degrees in theology are bad people. For instance, I hear the Senator for Kitui, is a bishop. However, we need professionals because our universities are churning out professionals in disaster management. If you look at Clause 10 of the proposed Bill, the chair of the board under Clause 10, there is no requirement that that person be an expert in disaster management. They just require a bachelor's degree from a university recognized in Kenya. That is going to be a problem if you follow the conversation that Sen. M. Kajwang’ was bringing here on the quality of education and the professionals that we are putting out. Why can we not make it clear, if it is disaster risk management, there are universities, students and qualified professionals in this particular field; let them be the 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."
}