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{
    "id": 382907,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382907/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 76,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Ndiema",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1067,
        "legal_name": "Henry Tiole Ndiema",
        "slug": "henry-tiole-ndiema"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for giving me this chance to contribute and to support this Motion. First, I want to thank Sen. Muthama for bringing this Motion which, in my view, is long overdue. It is really befitting that the Upper House of the Senate is the one that has brought this Motion that really affects the lives of our citizens. The issue of pollution of our waters is a threat just like any other threat to the nation. Pollution is like a war declared on our nation. Our economy and health depend on clean water. We know, as a country, that we are a water scarce nation. The little water that we have in the form of rivers and lakes is precious. Unless we take measures to conserve water, we are doomed. The economy of this country depends on water and I would like to cite a few examples where we are seeing a threat to our economy. There is the case of the water hyacinth which is threatening fish and even communication within the lake. Scientists have told us that hyacinth is developing in the lake due to chemical pollution and also solid waste pollution in terms of sediments. When you look at water borne diseases, we spend a lot of money treating Kenyans. We vote a lot of money to the Ministry of Health to treat people suffering from water borne diseases; typhoid and so on. All this is an expenditure we could have avoided if we cared to treat our waters. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, our beaches which are a major attraction of tourists and a major source of foreign exchange are polluted. Senators have said how waste through the Tana and Athi Rivers flows into the Indian Ocean where our beaches are. Today, if you go to the beaches, when there are no tides, you see plastic material. The disposal of plastic in this country has become a problem. If you go to Naivasha, you will see beautiful wildlife like monkeys among other animals. However, you will also see a lot of plastic on the road sides and yet nobody cares. Delamere is selling his milk. After the milk is sold, the plastic package is thrown but he takes no responsibility to ensure that the pollution is taken care of. The Jubilee Government has undertaken to irrigate two million acres probably in a year or whatever period. Of course, the source of water for the irrigation will have to come from these rivers; Tana River, Athi River, among others. I will support an amendment, when it comes, to cover other rivers like Nzoia and Turkwel, among others. If the water in the rivers is polluted, the products we produce, as Sen.(Prof.) Lesan has 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."
}