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"id": 207955,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/207955/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Munyao",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Development",
"speaker": {
"id": 279,
"legal_name": "Joseph Konzolo Munyao",
"slug": "joseph-munyao"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I had said that the Ministry has tried as much as it can, to bring the average walking distance to a water point in the country, to an average of about two kilometres. There are those who are walking for nearly five kilometres today. But on average, we are walking an average of two kilometres today. That is a huge progress. It is in order to refer and compare the performance of this Government with the other Government, no matter how many years the previous Government was in power. We should remind the public that the previous Government should never be remembered because it never cared about the country, especially on water issues. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, water in various areas is scattered. There are some areas which have good dams and boreholes. What is required is to try and restructure, so that, that water is stored. The water coming from dams and boreholes could be distributed to cover areas August 21, 2007 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3303 where there is no water. Some of the boreholes that were drilled in some areas turned salty. I plead with the Minister to try and introduce chemicals which can neutralise that water, so that it could become fresh as any other. Perhaps, that may be the reason why some waters are not in the lake. There are some areas like Kisau Division in my constituency, which has got several dams and boreholes. I know that, if those boreholes could be interlinked, the District Engineer could come up with the concept of networking, so that water lines could go round. If that is done, there will be more water kiosks and water in those areas will be enough. In Mbooni, Tulimani and Kalawa divisions, we have got water dams and boreholes. Those boreholes have got good water. If they are inter-linked, that could be quite okay. I want to remind the Minister about a project that he toured, and he knows about it. I am talking about the Miangeni Water Project, which is almost ready. It needs to be finalised. We want people in that area to make use of that water. The water is enough because it comes from Athi River. There would be no reason why that water, which has got such a deep flow, cannot be distributed throughout the division. The engineers have already done a lot of work on the ground. What is remaining is to give that project additional funds. There has been a little allocation in the last two years. The promise this year was that there would be enough funding. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I want to remind the Minister - and he is aware -that in Ukambani, we have got the Athi, Tana and Thwake rivers. The area where Athi and Thwake rivers meet can be a beautiful area for irrigation purposes. The Minister is now committed to encouraging irrigation. That area is a beautiful delta. If it can be blocked somehow, the water will benefit the residents of that area. I would like to request the Minister to put in some efforts and dam some of those rivers. We had been told that, at one time, there was a plan to block Athi River at three points before it reaches Tana River. We can also dam Tana, Thwake and many other rivers that take their waters down to the Indian Ocean. If we do that at certain points, we will leave the rest of the water flowing. That water will enrich our people and encourage them to work more. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, when we talk about canals, we already have the Yatta Canal, which is doing very well. It is helping farmers in Yatta to grow food and horticultural products for the market in Nairobi. Likewise, there was an idea and a proposal to begin another canal near Mbiuni - in the Minister's constituency - coming through Mbooni, going through Makueni; all the way beyond Mtito-Andei. At one time, I was told that there was an engineer mapping and surveying that area. The people of that area would like to know how far that project has gone. If that project is completed, it will help the residents. Finally, we, in the Ministry, would like to see additional fish in Lake Victoria and Lake Baringo, among others. However, because of desilting of some dams, we request the Minister to get additional technologies. I know he has systems of desilting surface dams. Could he desilt even bigger dams like the ones in Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana, among others? I beg to support."
}