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{
    "id": 187820,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/187820/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 219,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to support this Motion very strongly because I believe that energy is a very important component of our economy. Energy is like the nerve system of the body. Without energy, the economy cannot move and that is the reason why I feel that this Motion deserves to be supported strongly by Members of the House. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, currently, this country has an installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts. That is peanuts. It is equivalent to the consumption of one city in the industrial north. That is all that this country generates up to now. When we are talking about Vision 2030, we need to increase our generation capacity tenfold. That is the challenge that we have. Out of what we generate, nearly over 70 per cent is hydro-based and the rest being thermal, geothermal and so on. However, you know that first the hydro potential is not inexhaustible. We have now almost exhausted our hydro potential. I think there is little left in the Tana, Athi and in the lake regions. However, the hydro potential is also dependent on the environment and that is the reason why we have a serious problem with our major catchment areas. This country has got five water towers namely, Mt. Kenya, Aberdares, Mt. Elgon, Cherangany and the Mau. Out of the five water 2156 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 29, 2008 towers, Mau is the biggest and yet we know what is happening there at the moment is a disaster. It is a serious disaster! It is serious because we all know that if we leave the situation as it is at the moment, within the next 15 years, there will be no water! All those rivers are going to dry up. That is a fact that is known to everybody and yet, nothing is being done to address that situation! People are still moving into the forests; people are still destroying the forests and we keep on hearing: \"Oh! This is a matter that needs to be discussed! These things should not be done in a hurry! We need to first resettle!\" Yes, we know that some people need to be resettled. But we should not be claiming that as a right! We know how all those things happened! We know the mistakes that were made by the previous Governments! Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we should not be holding on to those mistakes permanently! That is why there is need for us to move with speed to find a way of resettling and fencing the entire Mau Complex, so that it can be preserved for posterity!"
}