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{
    "id": 382920,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/382920/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 89,
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    "content": "drinking water. I believe that we can do that, especially as the Jubilee Government undertakes to do irrigation as well as build dams in the areas where we do not have rivers, that we also provide an allowance of clean drinking water. The practice that has been common has been digging dams, and these dams have also been the areas where animals as well as human beings drink from. We must make a provision for clean drinking water, even as we take care of our rivers. A Senator said here very passionately – I think he is from Tana River or one of those areas – about the plastics which are all over the place and which we know contribute a lot to water pollution. If we remember correctly, the late icon, hon. Wangari Maathai, had proposed the banning of plastics. This came to Parliament and I believe it was defeated by a few people just because the industries got involved. If this Senate will really want to make a mark and give Kenyans a longer life, I believe we can do away with the plastics. It is also proven that plastics, especially when water heats in plastics, it causes cancer. I may be a victim of cancer and I have become very alert to that. I note that in Europe, they have stopped using plastics for water. They are using, like in many other countries, bottles. I would like to ask my friend here that, maybe, when you amend this Motion or when it goes to the Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources, we can look into a way of either banning plastics completely and finding other ways of storing water, because we keep this water in our cars; mothers are even fetching waters using these bottles and then when the sun heats that water, it has been proven that this water can promote cancer, including even cooking or putting anything in it. We have many lifestyle diseases; and they are no longer diseases of the poor. It is really for everybody. I believe that a lot of it is due to lack of information. So, if we could include civic education in this Bill, as Sen. Janet has said; that our people are taught about proper usage, storage or even boiling of water, we can reduce a lot of diseases. As far as taking care of our rivers is concerned, the late Michuki proved that it can be done. If Nairobi River was cleaned, I believe any river can be cleaned. Therefore, we should also involve our governors in this fight, because this fight concerns mostly the people in the counties. When we pass this Motion, I hope that we will share it with the governors so that it can be taken to the county assemblies so that they can also take the same law and pass it. This will help to teach our people; it will give knowledge to our people and we should put aside enough money to clean our rivers. We should not always talk of “central Government do this or that;” I think the devolvement of the central Governments’ responsibilities to counties was so that we can be more effective and bring services closer to the people. This also means bringing responsibilities closer to the people, because rights and responsibilities go together. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I strongly support this Motion especially because I believe that by having clean water, we have solved half or more than half of the diseases that affect and kill a lot of Kenyans. I beg to support."
}