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{
    "id": 373644,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/373644/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 100,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "July 17, 2013 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 11 Hon. Iringo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I rise to support the same. Let me congratulate hon. Ali Wario for bringing this Motion to the House, which I believe does not only touch on what TARDA and KenGen are doing or even what the natural rains do; not only in the Tana Delta, but nationally. Hon. Speaker, Sir, we are seeing a situation where we are getting people of the Tana and Athi River Basins being affected by natural and artificial floods, if I may call them so. This is because they release water to flow downstream which then destroys people’s property. These two organizations, or even generally the Government is ill- prepared for whatever disasters that may strike. There could be better ways of draining this water into the ocean or into the rivers. Hon. Speaker, Sir, this is a big problem nationally, especially when it comes to rain and floods causing havoc all over the country. These floods become disasters which even overwhelm the Government. After the rains, all the water is drained into the ocean and then we start crying for water again. So, this shows how ill-prepared we are and that we do not have systems of harvesting this water which can be used during the rainy season. At the same time, the same rains flood and sweep away our roads, property, kill people and damage bridges. We incur losses of millions of Kenya shillings or losses which cannot be compensated within a year or two. I believe the money which can be spent to repair the damages caused by the floods, can be used to prepare water barriers, dykes and gabions to prevent these damages from escalating or even recurring. Hon. Speaker, Sir, if there were proper mechanisms put in place for water harvesting even in the rural areas, like in my own constituency, Igembe Central, it would be good. We have a big problem in my area because after rains, all the roads are rendered impassable and even schools and bridges are swept away. Then we start crying again how to move from point “A” to point “B”. Funds are brought from the Road Maintenance Levy Fund or even the Ministry of Agriculture to go and repair the damages caused, but this is never enough because by the time we clear the damage that was caused by the previous rains, more rains come and cause havoc. So, I support that TARDA and KenGen should put mechanism in place so that when they are releasing water, they do not release it in flood form such that it displaces people downstream. Instead, let it be done in a way that the volume released is contained in that particular river. When there are no rains, they close all the rivers and dykes, causing shortage of water downstream. So, it should be done in a way that when we have rain, we have water controlled in the main valley. When there is no rain, excess water should be contained. Hon. Speaker, Sir, when I was campaigning, I told my people that we need to harvest water. We need to place very bid water tanks in institutions within my area and harvest rain water. We can use that water during the dry period. We should also dig water pans to collect surface run-off water, which can be used for irrigation and watering of livestock and for other uses, so that we do not waste the water and cause soil erosion. At the end of the day, soil erosion damages our dams. When we repair the damages, another rainy season sets in, and the cycle continues."
}