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{
    "id": 32739,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/32739/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 379,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mrs. Ngilu",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Water and Irrigation",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 111,
        "legal_name": "Charity Kaluki Ngilu",
        "slug": "charity-ngilu"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, first, I want to thank Dr. Otichilo for bringing this Motion to the House. I would like to say that the issues that have been raised by hon. Members are very valid. This shows the concern that hon. Members have about environmental issues and conservation of our waters and forests. This is not lost on the part of the Government. We are doing something. I have had a discussion with Dr. Otichilo, during which I told him that the Government has already started to take action. Prior to the development of River Omo, which actually contributes 90 per cent of Lake Turkana water, the lake had been stable. It had been sustaining life with minimal levels of fluctuation. The Ethiopian Government constructed Gibe 1 Hydro Power Dam, whose capacity is 839 million cubic metres, on River Gibe, which is a tributary of River Omo. Gibe 1 Hydro Power Dam produces 184 megawatts of electricity. This was the case for 15 years. There was no framework agreement with Kenya. However, Gibe 1 Hydro Power Dam caused very insignificant harm to Lake Turkana. The Ethiopian Government went on to do Gibe 3 Hydro Power Dam. This started to raise eyebrows, and the Kenyan Government realised that there was going to be trouble. When the Ethiopian Government decided to construct Gibe 3 Hydro Power Dam, we realised that Lake Turkana was going to be badly affected. I have visited Turkana area several times. It is true that if we do not do something, certainly, the only desert lake in the whole world will be badly affected. It could even dry up. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, against this background, my Ministry, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, found it necessary to call for action in terms of a bilateral agreement. On 30th May and 1st and 2nd June, 2011, a Government delegation visited Ethiopia. We had a meeting with top Ethiopian Government officials on the same issues, and on issues of insecurity around Lake Turkana and Todonyang area, and action is being taken. So, the Ethiopian Government has actually undertaken to carry out a thorough study not on their own but together with the Kenyan Government. As a Government, we will not sit back and watch Lake Turkana being destroyed. I want to assure hon. Members that we have a committee in place. We agreed that a report would be given to us in three months’ time; the period of three months is from 1st June, 2011. Therefore, by the end of September, 2011, I will have a report on my table. There is a team which is already preparing it. I do appreciate the concern of the hon. Members. I want to say here that we are not sleeping on the job and we are doing something. Therefore, we are speaking to the Ethiopian Government. We know what harm it will cause if this continues. As I have listened to hon. Members, it is not just about the hydro power that we are going to get as a country but also the lives of the people that are going to be affected. I want to assure the hon. Member that we are doing something. I support."
}