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"id": 206386,
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"speaker_name": "Mr. Miriti",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Trade and Industry",
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"legal_name": "Petkay Shem Nkiria Miriti",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Motion. I congratulate Prof. Ojiambo for her efforts to bring Motions before this House. It means that she has been conducting a lot of research towards the development and improvement of the living standards of Kenyans. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in a remote sense, this Motion captures certain aspects of Vision 2030. Indeed, the Government has invested a lot in the northern part of Kenya, which is known as an arid and semi-arid area. The President, in his statements, has often referred to northern parts of Kenya as areas which have been neglected in the past; areas which have been marginalised and areas which need special attention. I feel this Motion, once it becomes an Act, will go into deep lengths in supporting and helping the needy in those areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been to North Horr. I have also travelled widely in the so-called arid and semi-arid areas. When you visit those areas, you will realise that the residents of those areas are very far behind in almost everything, as compared to other Kenyans. In the area of education, there are very few schools. People there are nomads who travel from one place to another. They usually do not follow school programmes. Some children are forced to leave schools just because of the migration patterns of their parents. In certain other areas, there is no food. There are frequent droughts. There is famine. There is hunger and so many children cannot just attend school because they are hungry. They cannot attend school because of their health position. Others suffer from kwashiorkor because of the climatic conditions of those areas. There are no hospitals or health centres. Even where there are, they are not enough. There is no proper medication for our people who live in those areas. As such, they need special attention. We talk about water and other facilities which are necessary to human life. They are not readily available in those areas. In fact, those areas need affirmative action. Although the Government has done a lot within the last four-and-a half years to improve the living standards of those people, it is, indeed, a worthy cause to introduce a Bill. That way, we will know exactly what will be done in those areas, who will do them and at what levels. As we stand now, it is very difficult to identify Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). There is no actual criteria of identifying ASALs. We have heard speakers here referring to ASALs as arid and semi-arid districts. There are 3538 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 29, 2007 so many parts of Kenya which could qualify to be ASALs, but they have not been gazetted or assessed. People and children in those places continue to suffer. I have been to quite a number of Government offices, trying to find out exactly what is the criteria used in the assessment of ASALs. Quite often, I have been told that, that is a World Bank programme. I wonder whether it is the World Bank which should tell us which areas in Kenya warrant being classified as ASALs, or whether it is the Ministry of State for Special Programmes, the Ministry of Education and the Directorate of Personnel Management. All those Ministries handle ASAL issues. I think there is some confusion in the handling of ASAL matters. That needs to be streamlined. I hope that, when the Bill is introduced, those issues will be addressed. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Meru South, that is in Nithi Constituency, we have a division called Igamba-Ng'ombe. It lies between Tharaka and Mbeere districts. The inhabitants of Igamba-Ng'ombe Division are Tharakas and Mbeeres. Tharaka and Mbeere districts have been declared and gazetted as arid and semi-arid districts. But Igamba-Ng'ombe Division, which has similar climatic conditions and problems, is not included in the list of ASALs. I am sure that, once this Bill is introduced in this Parliament and it becomes an Act of Parliament, it will set out a criteria for identification of ASALs and such regions. I know that it is not only Igamba-Ng'ombe Division which has that problem. There are many other divisions which qualify to benefit from ASALs facilities, but they are not benefitting at the moment. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, teachers who teach in areas like Igamba-Ng'ombe Division, which is a hardship area, do not get hardship allowances like others. Children who go to school, sometimes, miss classes because of poor infrastructure in Igamba-Ng'ombe Division. They also miss classes because of lack of food. They also miss classes because, sometimes, teachers cannot even go to school because of poor roads, especially during rainy seasons. Such areas should be included in---"
}