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{
    "id": 1490846,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1490846/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 161,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "I can tell you that many Kenyans, four million plus, who are residents of Nairobi, are no different from people who live in Wajir or Turkana counties in terms of access to water. You have to buy water, which is expensive in terms of household expenditure. Many families across the country spend 60 per cent of their income on food, including water. This is a challenge we must grapple with as a country. Our people should be able to access clean and safe water wherever they are, and this is for all the 50 million plus Kenyans. Therefore, we want to ask counties, because most of these water and sanitization companies are domiciled within counties, I want to confirm that we do not have smart meters. We still have clerical water workers who are meter readers. I am told the first president of this republic was a meter reader in this city. I know Sen. Okiya Omtatah might be aware of this because he is good at litigation. You can be a meter reader and become a multi-billionaire in this country. People still read water meters physically using motorbikes. We need to introduce smart meters, so that we can protect and ensure accuracy in financial statements. Water sanitation companies should introduce smart meters. Even Kenya Power - although one of the scandals that affected this country was the provision of smart meters by Kenya Power - should introduce smart meters. We need smart readers and smart meters. I was shocked that these meter readers come and read and then go and approximate how much you will pay. If we had a smart reader, it would give us the precision of a military marksman in determining what you should pay in terms of access. It will also assist in the non-revenue water issue. The fact that the water is lost means that revenue is lost. Kenya boasts of being technologically savvy. For example, we need to ensure that we have a Geographical Information System (GIS). When you have GIS, it can tell us where the pipe leakages are. Kenya Pipeline Corporation is using the GIS, such that if you are taking fuel from here to Eldoret, to Kisumu, all the way from Kipevu Terminal in Mombasa, these water sanitization companies should have a GIS to detect water leakages so that you prevent revenue loss because water is spilt or the pipes are broken. I hope the Committee led by my brother has noted that when these companies have GIS, it will assist in detecting leakage, like in fuel. They can become precise and ensure that they can detect any leakages of water or burst pipes in the system or infrastructure within. I hope other companies, whether on the coast, in Rift Valley, or here in Nairobi, should use GIS. When counties are upgrading to GIS, we should not be told that it costs Kshs104 billion, the way the ICT infrastructure upgrade was done in the upgrade of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to the Social Health Authority (SHA). Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Sen. Oketch Gicheru will tell you that getting an application to upgrade a system does not mean you own it. The way the Government has paid Kshs104 billion for infrastructure in terms of NHIF, then there is a big problem because you will keep improving the software. I am happy that there is a report I have seen of a mediated version of the Water Act. This should resolve the issue of the Water Trust Fund. You remember the amendment that was brought, what we called the Water Amendment Bill of 2023. 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."
}