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{
    "id": 382913,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382913/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 82,
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    "content": "You also remember what the former Clerk of the City of Nairobi, Mr. John Gakuo, did to eliminate unnecessary kiosks in the city which were becoming an environmental problem. One always wondered where the people working in these kiosks went when they had calls of nature. The kiosks were besides the road and had absolutely no ablutions or sanitary facilities for these kiosks. They were a tremendous danger to the environment. You will also remember the kiosks on Limuru Road outside the Village Market. While they were there, there were always carjacking on that road almost every week. Once they were removed, the security situation improved. However, we must remember to provide livelihoods for people who work in these kiosks . It is not always enough to eliminate them but to provide livelihoods by creating facilities for them to market their wares and continue with their trade elsewhere other than besides roads or in areas where there are no ablution blocks or sanitary facilities. Those two examples of what Town Clerk John Gakuo did in Nairobi and what the late Minister John Michuki did in Nairobi should be followed in implementing what Sen. Muthama is talking about in terms of rivers. We should not stop by making remarks. These are remarks that could be followed by concrete action. I fully support the Senator’s call for the relevant Department of Government to bring a report to the Senate within six months. I would also like to appeal to Sen. Muthama that before he takes a step further, the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources of the Senate and that of the National Assembly meet and come up with the progaramme of action for improving our water facilities and for conserving our environment. We know for certain that flooding, while it creates a lot of havoc to lives and livelihoods, when it occurs can also be turned into a major resource. This is done by damming rivers so that during rains, rather than water breaking river banks and causing havoc to habitation and livelihoods, it is contained in dams to be used in irrigation very cheaply. Therefore, during drought, there is a water facility to be used both by animal husbandry and in agriculture. One thing we must encourage is proper damming of our rivers to reduce flooding and, therefore, create better management of water resources. Around Lake Victoria, we have an organization called the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme (LVEMP) which is run by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), other donors and the Government of Kenya. I have always wondered about the results of this programme especially when a simple thing like the hyacinth continues to persist here in Nairobi Dam. We know that in Canada, Malaysia and Brazil hyacinth is there because pollution is also there. However, management of this hyacinth both as a resource and as an economic activity has led to tremendous economic gains rather than being seen as a menace. I appeal to Senator Muthama, while implementing this Motion, to find out what the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme has done in the long time it has existed; for almost two decades. If it is useful to Kenyans, what it has achieved in Lake Victoria can be replicated elsewhere and we do not need to look for any knowledge elsewhere except from this organization. So, it is useful that when we establish such organizations, they become a resource for development and replication of knowledge 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."
}