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{
    "id": 32719,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/32719/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 359,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Chachu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 18,
        "legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
        "slug": "francis-ganya"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to support this Motion. From the outset, I want to thank Dr. Otichilo for moving this very critical Motion, which will have a major impact on the lives of Kenyans living around Lake Turkana. Lake Turkana is very close to my heart because North Horr Constituency covers more than 350 kilometres of the eastern stretch of the lake. Sibiloi which is in the heart of Lake Turkana is within North Horr Constituency. This is the only lake in the larger Marsabit County, the biggest county in this country. We lack any single river or permanent stream worth mentioning about. This is the only major water body within the whole county. It is the only secure grazing area for the pastoralists in Marsabit County as well as in many counties in northern Kenya. For my own constituency of North Horr, it is the only resort for my constituents at the height of drought and famine such as the one we are experiencing now. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for this reason Gibe 3 Hydro Power Dam once constructed will have a lasting negative socio-economic and ecological impact on many Kenyans, including my constituents, who inhabit the area around this lake. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Gibe 3 Dam is being constructed by the Ethiopian government at a cost of US$1.7 billion. The dam is expected to generate about 1,870 megawatts of electricity. In June this year, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee expressed concern about the construction of this dam and its likely impact on Lake Turkana. UNESCO warned that the Gibe 3 Dam is likely to significantly alter the Lake Turkana’s ecology which is highly fragile. In particular, it will threaten its aquatic species as well as have a major impact on the socio-ecological systems within Lake Turkana’s ecosystem. For sure, it is likely to pose infinite danger to the livelihoods of the Kenyans over 500,000 of them who inhabit this lake’s ecosystem. It is worth noting that up to now no thorough social and environmental impact assessment has been done to really assess the impact of this lake on the people who live downstream. These are largely Kenyans. As of now the position of the Ethiopian Government is that the construction of Gibe 3 Dam will not harm the Turkana. Rather the reduction of the flow of the River Omo will not necessarily have any impact on the Turkana. We can only say that once we have hard evidence. As of now, the only hard evidence we have is if a very comprehensive, independent socio-economic impact assessment is done on this lake. Up to now, we do not have any information which is independent and highly verified by experts to state that the impact is not adverse to the Kenyans who live downstream of Lake Turkana. It is clearly stated that reduction of Omo River flow into the lake is likely to affect about half a million Kenyans. More than that, the salinity of this lake will increase which will for sure, have adverse impact on the aquatic life of this lake. The construction of Gibe 3 Dam is largely being financed by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to a tune of US$470 million. Such magnitude of funding for sure demands a very comprehensive socio-economic and environmental impact assessment before such a construction is actually done. And that is the practice anywhere in the world; not only here in Africa, but even anywhere in the modern world. For this purpose, we demand that our Government demands from our neighbouring country of Ethiopia to undertake an independent environmental social impact assessment. Once that is done and we will know the issues that are likely to arise, they should put appropriate mitigation measures in place. Once this is done, we have no problem. But until this is addressed, the lives and livelihoods of people living around Lake Turkana will largely be affected. These are pastoralists who live in a very fragile eco-system. Because of this, we think the Ethiopian Government has a moral mandate to ensure that the right thing is done before this major construction is underway. More than that, we know Kenya Government is planning to buy electricity from Ethiopia. We feel that until this issue is addressed once and for all, I think it will be very irresponsible for our Government to go ahead with its plan of buying electric power from Ethiopia because it will definitely have a major and a vast impact on the lives of Kenyans. With those few remarks, I support the Motion."
}