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"id": 207917,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/207917/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kagwe",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Information and Communications",
"speaker": {
"id": 229,
"legal_name": "Mutahi Kagwe",
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"content": " Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir. In seconding this Motion, I wish to take this early opportunity to congratulate the Minister and indeed, his entire team for the work they have continued to do throughout his tenure in that office. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have seen changes in the management of water in this country. This should be applauded by all. These changes come, not automatically, but through the work of dedicated individuals. Without this dedication, nothing would be done. For that reason I want to congratulate the water team. Having said that, an expenditure of a sum of Kshs15 billion is a substantial amount of money. Consequently, it is right that Kenyans expect to see even further changes and better management of water in the coming year. The Minister has said that he has been spending a substantial amount of money. Indeed, he has been spending a sum of Kshs1.5 billion per annum in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs). This is something to be proud of as Kenyans. For too long, the North Eastern and other dry areas have been neglected. Today, they are proudly joining other Kenyans in better use of water and supply of the same. There are four issues of concern when one comes down to it. The first one is the issue of areas with too little water. These are the ASAL that Mr. Katuku has talked about. We have dug as many boreholes as he has mentioned here this afternoon. Again, it is something that we must continue to do as a Government. The reason we dig these boreholes is there is no water. Consequently, it not just the boreholes, but also dams. The second issue of concern is that of too much water. This includes the case of Budalang'i. The Assistant Minister for Water and Irrigation is the hon. Member of Parliament for the area. There are those who would like to say that the Government should have done something about 3296 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES August 21, 2007 Budalang'i and other areas that are currently experiencing floods. However, I would like to say that the Government can do a lot about many things, but it cannot do anything about too much rain. Too much rain is God-given. In the United Kingdom (UK) where it has been raining too heavily, the same situation exists. There is a level of flooding that even the Government can do very little about. However, having said that, it is good to note that the Minister intends to do something about areas with too much water. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the third issue is that of water harvesting. I think it is good to point out that this is a matter that cannot be done by the Government on its own. This is a matter that must be carried out by a public-Government partnership. Individuals can also assist the Government in harvesting and harnessing water that exists in their own homes. You find that a lot of water runs down to the Indian Ocean basically because it was not harnessed in people's homes. Everybody with a tin-roofed house can put a little tank to harvest a bit of the water that exist in their homes. Therefore, I am proposing that the Government, through the Ministry, should set up a programme to encourage the harvesting of water in people's homes. Harvesting is not done only using tanks. It also includes building dams that people can use during dry seasons. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the fourth issue is protection of catchment areas. This is a very important issue because what is currently happening, and which the Minister has ably alluded to it is where people drink water that is less than clean and healthy because of their own fault. When you remove all vegetation along the river banks and cultivate the same area, this means that fertilizers and chemicals will run freely into the rivers. You will, therefore, find people getting sick and not realising why. The reason is, they remove all the vegetation along the river bank and consequently drink water contaminated with fertilizers and other chemicals in it. That is not something that only the Government can do. It is something that the citizens could take responsibility for! The role the Ministry can play is just to encourage people to start planting trees and reduce pollution in our river-beds. Mr. Speaker, Sir, implementation is an issue of concern to Kenyans. I know that. The Ministry knows that too. We have been discussing that issue in the Government. But I think that the new management system that the Minister has introduced in the management of water, which is basically private-public partnership, is good enough. If we give it time, we will find that the water companies that have been formed by the Ministry are going to bear fruits. I can say that because Othaya-Mukurweini Water Services and Sanitary Company (OMUWASCO) in Nyeri is beginning to implement those projects. I have seen it with my own eyes in my own constituency. I am impressed with what they are doing. I think that if they work together along the Tana River, OMUWASCO and other companies in similar situations across the country are going to assist us in ensuring that our people get water supply. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when we talk about water in some of those areas, we are not just talking about the issue of drinking water for both human and animals. We are talking about making those pipes and creation of jobs. But, more importantly, is the saving of our female folk in terms of time and health. Women are the ones who draw water in our country. If you put together the number of hours that every woman in Kenya uses when going down to the river with a jerrican to draw water, it would amount to billions of shillings, if we were to account for that time as money. That is a resource that can be put into other uses. For example, there are health issues where young little girls are being sent for long distances carrying heavy jars of water. Consequently, Mr. Speaker, Sir, the supply of water has many dimensions to it and, indeed, we should encourage the Ministry. We should give the Minister what he is looking for in terms of both the Recurrent and Development Expenditure, in order for him to meet his requirements and, consequently, address those matters that are multi-dimensional in nature. Mr. Speaker, Sir, growth in urban areas will present challenges to the Ministry. That is August 21, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3297 particularly the case where we have got small urban areas that are growing in population. The issue of sanitation will need urgent attention. The reason I am saying that is because, as you travel around the country, you will find little townships growing. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in all those little townships, the toilet system they are using is what is popularly known as \"long drops\". Now, we cannot have small little growing towns using that system of toilets! Consequently, the issue of sewers is going to be a challenge to the Ministry. I hope that, as we in the Government discuss that matter, we will come to realize that we need to allocate a little bit more money in the area of sewers. It is going to be a big issue in the near future. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am going to, once again, congratulate the Minister, particularly, in the area of irrigation. He has just told us that the areas he is irrigating are only 20 per cent of the capacity that he currently has. Therefore, my hope is that the Ministry will continue to put more and more areas into irrigation, particularly, those areas that do not get water regularly, so that food productivity and production could be increased and hunger could be an issue of the past. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think it is good for us to recognize that the Kibaki Administration has addressed areas that were, in the past, not being addressed not because, perhaps, they did not want to, but because there was no money. I think it is good for us to appreciate that, as we politic around the country, and as we talk to people around the country, let us be brave and honest enough not to dismiss some of the work that has been done. Let us be honest enough to, at least, say: \"We can continue with the work that President Kibaki has done! They have done some work!\" That is something that we, as Kenyans, must be proud of. The Administration has been at work. The Ministry has been at work and we should all be proud to say: \" Tunajivunia kuwa Wakenya \". Congratulations to the Ministry, the Minister and his Department. With those few remarks, I beg to second."
}