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{
    "id": 443854,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/443854/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 401,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Isaack",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2069,
        "legal_name": "Shaaban Ali Isaack",
        "slug": "shaaban-ali-isaack"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity. I must say on the outset that I support the Bill. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, it is said that poverty is unjust; it befalls a man. Most of the droughts that we experience in Africa, and particularly in Kenya, are a result of the climate change that is taking place worldwide. The world shares what is called “common resources”, which include air and the seas. Africa contributes only 2 per cent of pollution in the world. The rest of pollutants are contributed by the industrialised world. The West, and particularly the industrialised countries, which have been destroying our climate, must compensate Africa for polluting our seas and our Ozone layer. Having said so, over the years, Kenya has been divided into two different lands; the arable lands and the arid lands. For a long time, the policy of the Kenya Government has always been to invest heavily in the arable land. However, this very viable land has been fragmented until we cannot produce any more to support the entire population of this country. As a result of the Kenya Government not investing in the arid lands, which form more than 80 per cent of this country’s land mass, we have experienced food deficiency. Kenya can no longer feed her population of 40 million. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, a country that cannot feed her population cannot have the level of security that is required. It is, therefore, important that the Government’s policy of investing heavily in the arable lands changes, so that we now invest in the more than 70 per cent of Kenya’s land mass, so that we can produce for the entire population of Kenya. If we do so, we will realise a surplus in terms of food production. We welcome the recent pronouncement of the Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, of its intention to irrigate more than one million acres, particularly in Tana River and Kilifi counties. This will go a long way in making Kenya self reliant and self sufficient in food production. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the creation of National Drought Management Authority should have been done yesterday not today. When this Bill is passed by Parliament; which I know will be done overwhelmingly because of its importance, the President should assent to it immediately. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, when this Bill is passed and becomes an Act of Parliament, the NDMA will not exist only as an Act of Parliament and in books. It must work and must be funded, and it should not be a toothless bulldog. We have many authorities which have been created in order to mitigate droughts and enhance development in Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASAL), but they have never gone beyond their offices and they have never developed those areas. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, we hope that this very important Authority will be well funded to meet its obligations or the objectives it was intended to meet and created for. We have had the creation of the Ministry of Northern Kenya which existed for five years and we have not seen anything much---"
}