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{
    "id": 305692,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/305692/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 314,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Raila",
    "speaker_title": "The Prime Minister",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 195,
        "legal_name": "Raila Amolo Odinga",
        "slug": "raila-odinga"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, for hon. Member’s information, African Development Bank (ADB) did not pull out. ADB is actually funding that project. It is the World Bank that pulled out and not ADB. It pulled out because of various reasons. Sometimes, it could even be political reasons. But what I want to say is that we are actually taking actions in the best interests of our country. So, we shall, all the times, be very selfish when it comes to this. We will not accept a project that is going to adversely affect our national heritage. That, I can assure this House! We have engaged Ethiopia very constructively in negotiations on this matter. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Ethiopia is going to sell electricity to us and an agreement to that effect has already been signed. We have already identified funding for the transmission line from Ethiopia all the way into Kenya. That is going to be at fairly concessional prices which will help us lower down the cost of energy to our country, which our industries in this country require very urgently. Mr. Speaker, Sir, so, in conclusion, I just want to assure the hon. Member that we have engaged Ethiopia in a number of these issues. There is also the issue of security along the border. We know there have always been clashes between the Merilles and the Turkanas which has cost the lives of a number of our people. You will also realize that as Ethiopians are busy putting up irrigation schemes on their side, we do not have any on this other side. This will result in our people going to look for food on the other side. That is what we do not want to do, hence the irrigation projects which I am going to launch next Tuesday. One of them is the Todonyang Irrigation Project, where we are going to irrigate 25,000 acres of land, so that the Turkanas can become self-sufficient in food, so that we do not have to transport relief food all the way from Nairobi, Kitale and then to Turkana."
}