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{
"id": 286326,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/286326/?format=api",
"text_counter": 226,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
"speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
"speaker": {
"id": 195,
"legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
"slug": "raila-odinga"
},
"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member really does agree that this is indeed a serious matter. As I have mentioned, the Government has a strategy. Secondly, we have a mechanism because we have a disaster management centre which brings together the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Ministry of Regional Development Authorities, the Ministry of Medical Services, and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation. Most of the Ministers that deal with infrastructure and social services are represented in that committee. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, funds are provided. We also have a Contingency Fund, which we usually “invade” when there is a disaster. It is very expensive. There are other areas where, we, as a nation, can actually act in order to avoid disasters. For example, we are talking about floods. Sometimes floods come as a result of bad land use that leads to desertification. When we destroy forests, we contribute to soil erosion and this translates to flooding of our environment. That is why I am saying the issue of protection of our water towers is of extreme national importance. It is a responsibility of all Kenyans to conserve our environment. At the moment, the Government is spending a lot of money in dam construction, which is aimed at harvesting rain water when it rains. This will also contribute to controlling of flooding some of our areas. We will also be able to use this water when drought comes because we now live between the twin disasters of El Nino and La Nina . When El Nino disappears with the floods, La Nina comes with the drought, which is, again, very devastating. When pastures disappear, our pastoralists begin to suffer when their animals die. So, we have a strategy in dealing with all these issues. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, there are some accidents which are avoidable. The Government has said very many times that when a fuel tanker roles, people should run away from it, instead of running towards it to try and loot the spilling fuel. This is something that has been said so many times but our people have not yet come to terms with this reality. Therefore, we are losing so many innocent lives as a result of these kinds of accidents. This is something we will not give up on. We will continue to repeat this message all the time – that, whenever you see a fuel tanker rolling somewhere, run away from it. Do not run towards it, unless you are doing so to save the lives of the driver and the ton boy of the truck."
}