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{
    "id": 1488136,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1488136/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 233,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Limuru, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Eng.) John Kiragu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you, Temporary Speaker. I want to thank my friend Hon. Gikaria, the Chair of the Committee. The Report confirms that the accident occurred. Out of the 25 drums of highly toxic material, seven of them have not been traced. There is no accountability on where they went or who is keeping them. We do not know whether they have gone into the hands of people who may not know that it is a very toxic material. In my career as an engineer, I have come across cyanide salt or what we call: “sodium cyanide.” It is a very toxic material. It is a serious issue if anybody comes across it without knowing the danger that it can cause. My point here is that the Report received cannot be complete without telling this House, and the country, where the seven drums of that highly toxic material are. It is very sad that in this nation, there can be business of transporting toxic material across the country from Mombasa without security escort or NEMA officials. We need to have a transport plan indicating the route such material will pass, where the truck will fuel and the precautions that people need to take to make sure that the material is in safe hands. That was not the case here. An accident happened and the public – as you know – found something that they do not know and went to make use of. I agree that there was mobilisation. What they have not indicated is that even I was involved to make sure that we have all the products are brought back. We were lucky that 18 of those drums were brought back by the public. It is on record from the Report given that there is no substantive regulation on the movement of toxic material. I wonder why NEMA has not looked into that. We know that there is a regulation on the movement of radioactive material like isotopes that are being used either in hospitals or in the industry. It is sad that at this point in the history of this country, we are still saying that we are working on a regulation. We should not allow people to import such material unless we can guarantee their safety when they are on transit or when they are being used. Finally, I am saddened when the Report says there is no formula for compensation that can be used, in case the public comes into contact with that toxic material."
}