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{
    "id": 443782,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/443782/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 329,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Lomunokol",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1645,
        "legal_name": "Mark Lomunokol",
        "slug": "mark-lomunokol"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank you and the Mover of this Bill because a lot of poverty in the northern part of Kenya is related to drought. We have heard through the BBC and our local newspapers announced threats posed by drought. As a nation, we must be responsible. It time that we reacted to drought and put in place mechanisms that can curb the threat of drought. Livestock have been lost. The economy of the northern region has been affected by drought. Other countries which do not receive adequate rains, like the whole of North Africa do not rely on relief food. As a nation, we have no reason to continue depending on relief food. We can put in place mechanisms that can set us free from reliance on food aid. We need to establish irrigation projects in all the areas that are affected by drought. With established irrigation projects, we will not rely on rainfall for agriculture. Introducing drought resistant crops and drought resistant livestock will ensure that the people in ASAL areas can have sustainable means of livelihoods, which can empower them economically. I have had an opportunity to work with the World Food Programme. Constant news of hunger is shameful to this country. We would not want to identify ourselves with any news that tend to threaten human life. I want to urge my colleagues in the Jubilee Government that we support this Bill, so that we can save this country from embarrassment arising from drought. It is not the wish of the people of those areas to seek for relief food all the time. It is the circumstances they find themselves in which compel them to ask for food aid. We can actually do with this kind of reliance once the Government sets aside resources and puts in place mechanisms that can get us out of this bad situation. The Mover of this Bill kindly and honestly, thought that we should legislate on this matter in order to cushion our people from this bad situation. Like other social problems, drought can be dealt with. There are ways of intervening. If resources are allocated for the fight against drought, we can get this country out of this situation once and for all. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}