Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 381630,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/381630/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 127,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Obure",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 118,
        "legal_name": "Christopher Mogere Obure",
        "slug": "christopher-obure"
    },
    "content": "Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to support this Motion as amended. Madam Temporary Speaker, the areas we are talking about, the Arid and Semi- Arid Lands (ASALS), actually constitute approximately 70 per cent of the landmass of Kenya. The occupation of Kenyans living in these areas is pastoralism. This is their lifestyle and that is how they derive their livelihoods – from livestock. These are the areas which we have commonly referred to as “marginalized areas” of our country, generally characterized by high incidents of poverty, hopelessness, lack of job opportunities and so on yet we talk about Vision 2030, envisioning a high quality of life for all Kenyans, moving towards a higher status for our economy and yet 70 per cent of our landmass is virtually undeveloped, where a large portion of the population also live. Madam Temporary Speaker, if you want to achieve Vision 2030 and if we seriously want to change the quality of life of our people, we must now begin to refocus our agenda and priorities. Let us begin thinking seriously about how we can exploit the potential which exists in these so-called “marginalised” areas. We must begin to think of how to improve the earnings of Kenyans. We must begin to seriously think about how to utilize the vast land available in these areas because that is a national asset. Yesterday, we had this Motion which was urging the Government to take the bulk of that land and use it for irrigation purposes. If we did that and if we did a bit of what Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo is asking for – creating disease free zones in these areas – there is a huge potential which we will be exploiting. We will be creating jobs, we will be reducing 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."
}