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{
    "id": 373532,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/373532/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 435,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Okoth",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12482,
        "legal_name": "Kenneth Odhiambo Okoth",
        "slug": "kenneth-odhiambo-okoth"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I rise to comment on this Motion with a few concerns. The first one is that the Motion’s goal is very valuable to see how we should manage our rivers and water resources. We should be thinking of turning them into benefits for our country in terms of energy, for example, cheap and affordable electricity that could be added onto our grid system. We have to make sure that the waters of the rivers do not damage property downstream. This means that we should have a mechanism in place to compensate the affected communities. My biggest concern is in the area of agriculture. How can we turn the waters from the rivers mentioned into a resource? We need to pay attention to one of the key things that President Kenyatta mentioned here, that is, the Jubilee commitment to irrigation. I wish more of the hon. Members from the TNA side were here because they have the numbers to influence and move items like this. If they are in concurrence we can get this business done very fast. I would like us to embrace the irrigation model that the President spoke about as a key Jubilee alliance issue. This will be a great accomplishment for Kenyans in general. How do we turn the water that gets wasted into irrigation? That way we will be able to reclaim very rich potential areas in Ukambani and others. When we talk about the companies and compensation, we have a lot to learn. It is good to learn that there will be amendments coming tomorrow to try to review this Motion. My concern is that the goal is very attractive and important. The goal will be achieved just by this Motion. If we are urging and beseeching the Government to consider, I thought we are the Government! We are the third arm of the Government. Let us use our powers. Let us look at this information. Let us consult our colleagues and other stakeholders. Let us make law that is enforceable and can serve our people. Let us put caveat into that law and see how to turn the water system from a liability to an investment and asset for our people in terms of irrigation and electricity generation. We could study models, for example, the Tennesse Valley Authority. It had the same problems we are talking about 56 years ago, but they changed completely their management of the Mississippi River. I hope that we will look for more information. I will be excited and pray that our hon. Members from the Jubilee side will agree to a Bill that will come up instead of just coming up with punitive policies against TARDA and KenGen. What we need are helpful long-term policies for everybody involved in the system. It is not just about seeking compensation. We need to prevent situations where need for compensation is necessary. With those few remarks I appreciate the chance to contribute. I thank the leaders who have brought this Motion and ask them to work a little bit more on it and enrich it. I am a little concerned that the Motions we discuss here cannot be implemented and so we"
}