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"id": 317165,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/317165/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mrs. Shebesh",
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"speaker": {
"id": 377,
"legal_name": "Rachel Wambui Shebesh",
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"content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. Like my colleague, Dr. Khalwale, I would like to congratulate the Mover of this Bill. This is an issue that, of course, should have been brought by the Government, because drought becomes a national disaster for this country every year. However, the Government sees it fit to manage crisis and, therefore, this kind of Bill that should have come from them, is forced to come from a Member of Parliament who feels the impact of drought directly in his constituency. But more importantly, probably for those who do not know, hon. Chachu is highly qualified in this field and, therefore, drafted it also as an expert. That is why we are congratulating him. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in the process of this, a few questions were being asked amongst ourselves, in the Committee, as we were thinking. We were asking ourselves whether we even have a national drought disaster policy; again, a policy that is, unfortunately, sourced from one Ministry to the other. One of the biggest issues with dealing with drought in our country is the fact that there are too many Ministries competing to own the issue of drought. We have the Ministry of State for Special Programmes, the Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands that was set up recently, the Ministry of Agriculture because, of course, it is an issue of food and the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security because they are the ones who do the distribution of food. If people could take time to understand how the crisis of drought is dealt with except those hon. Members who come from those areas, most of us who do not come from those areas, if we were to sit down like I have done and taken time to understand, you would not only be amazed at the confusion during the time of disaster but you would be saddened. We once went with Mr. Nanok to his constituency during the drought and food had been taken by the Ministry of State for Special Programme to the DO’s office but to get that food to where people needed it inside Turkana, it had become impossible. Why? Because either there was a car with no fuel or the officer who was supposed to sanction that food to come out from the stores to go to a certain vehicle was not there or there was some crisis between the DO and some local political leaders. It was shameful to see that even as food has been taken by the Government to deal with the drought, it can remain in the stores in the DO’s office for another two weeks just because of logistical issues. That is why when this Bill is brought here, this Authority will bring some sense of responsibility to lie within one organ. This is because this Authority, I expect, will be able to liaise with the Minister of State for Special Programmes, the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for Water and Irrigation. This Authority’s work will be more of a co-ordinating function because what has really bogged this sector is that co-ordinating issue. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, we have never lacked food in this country. We have drought and people die in this country yet on the other side in the North Rift, maize is rotting in the fields. Surely, with an Authority like this, it is not rocket science for them to know that they can go across the borders to the Rift Valley and buy food and feed the people where there is drought. That might sound like a very simple thing but amazingly; it is not what has been happening. We have been watching food rotting and milk being poured in Nyandarua while people are starving in Wajir, Turkana and Marsabit. This has simply been poor co-ordination of Government. Pure and simple! So what Mr. Chachu has done, because he has experienced it"
}