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{
    "id": 476866,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/476866/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 106,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wakhungu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1889,
        "legal_name": "Chrisantus Wamalwa Wakhungu",
        "slug": "chrisantus-wamalwa-wakhungu"
    },
    "content": "In some regions, you find that they plant eucalyptus trees in water catchment areas. After some time, you cannot plant anything there. Therefore, with a Bill like this farmers will be advised on the kinds of crops or plants to plant. Another issue I wanted to mention is about electricity. Electricity heavily relies on water. We have seen in many cases we have shortage of electricity. If we want to industrialize this country, electricity is very critical. We talk of things like laptops which need electricity. But if we do not manage the issue of climate change properly, once the levels of water go down, it will affect generation of electricity. That is why this Bill is important and it has come at the right time. We must put it in place so that we can develop mitigating strategies and once they are put in place by the Government, there will not be shortage of electricity in this country. Hon. Deputy Speaker, based on the recent scientific report of 2014, we are told that temperatures are going to increase by two per cent by the year 2050 and that will be very dangerous. A lot of our eco-system and lives will be affected. For us to maintain this we must move with speed and put in place measures that will mitigate the issues of these temperatures. This is because once temperatures go up; they will affect the eco-system. We are also talking about floods, storms, heat waves and such like catastrophes worldwide. Once this Bill is enacted, it will help mitigate these risks because they are so many. If we do not do anything, agriculture, health care, electricity generation and the entire industry are going to be affected. Therefore, this Bill has come at the right time and we must put in place measures to mitigate. We are told records show that this Bill was enacted in 2013, but unfortunately His Excellency the President did not assent to it. The reasons he gave were that there was inadequate public participation. Therefore, what we want to say is that it should go on and it should include the recommendations from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Mineral Resources and those of the Committee so that we can move with speed to have this in place. Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. I support the Bill."
}