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"id": 380604,
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, going by the nature of River Tana and its tributaries and the trend that it takes to flow, the stages that the river undertakes to get to the mouth are to be considered before we talk about Tana as a delta. River Tana passes through very many counties and has its source as Mt. Kenya. During heavy rains, it is apparent that the river will overflow its banks. The river also has to take all the essential soil with it to the mouth. This soil would have been very good if it was used by the farmers along the river banks. It is, therefore, apparent that if this river continues flowing to the mouth perennially, taking all the fertile soil along it, the danger is not only with Tana Delta, but also along its course. It is, therefore, necessary that as we consider Tana as a delta, we should also consider River Tana in its entirety; from the source, to the middle stage and then the lower stages where rampant flooding takes place. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, to prevent flooding and more so, at the middle level where it passes through Garissa, we need to control the flow of the water from the source, that is, Mt. Kenya, before even it forms the delta at the mouth. It is, therefore, important that much as we consider the Tana Delta, we should also consider the source. How are we going to maintain and conserve the excess water from the mountain, because that is the main problem? The problem is not the delta, but how and when the river flows. In my understanding of rivers, as a teacher, a river’s catchment is also important. The catchment of River Tana is not only from Mt. Kenya. There is the Aberdares and other tributaries which contribute to the river. What is important is to have the river itself controlled in its flow. The only control that we can have is constructing other series of dams and not only Masinga Dam. We need to have other dams upstream or downstream, so that excess water is retained during times of heavy rainfall or when the water is not required at the mouth, so that, that controlled water can be used by the residents of Tana Delta when it is necessary. That is what happens in some other rivers elsewhere in the world. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have in mind a river called Tennessee. In 1945 there was a President called Franklin Roosevelt in the United States. River Tennessee used to flood during heavy rains and the people who would suffer were the residents of Alabama while the people who lived in Tennessee State itself were scot-free, because they were living on the highlands. The same thing is happening with this river. We have people living along Mt. Kenya who are not affected when the river swells. It is the residents who live downstream who are affected more. In this case, therefore, we have to compare River Tana and River Tennessee and see what can be done by the Government of Kenya to make River Tana useful all through the year. We need to have this river tamed by constructing as many dams as possible, so that after Masinga Dam fills up, there is a second dam which will contain the water. We can have as many dams as even 20. There is nothing wrong with that. After those dams have been constructed, the people living along the river and its mouth will control the water at will. I am sure that the water will be useful to the residents of the Tana Delta. Also, the erosion downstream will not be as serious as it is now. When a river flows without control, there is a lot of soil erosion that takes place along the banks. When that happens there is a lot of widening of the valleys, thus, encroaching even the wetlands which would have been used by those people neighbouring the river to graze their animals and irrigate their crops. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}