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{
    "id": 497008,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/497008/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I was saying that we are lucky as a country because we are endowed with a lot of water sources and resources. The only problem that we have - and I am hoping that we can be able to address it now - is how to make use of that resource. That is because we lose a lot of water. All the time, there is lack of preparedness. When rain comes, there is flooding and people die. When it is not there, people are dying because of lack of water and yet, we have got a lot of water. For some of us who come from places near Kisumu, I sometimes find it very strange that you go to a hotel in Kisumu and there is no water; yet, you are by the lake. The same thing happens when you go to places like Mombasa. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I think reference to the Constitution is very important because the Constitution of Kenya 2010 felt that water should be a devolved function.When we looked at it, we realized that it was too premature for water to be devolved. The only way we can do it is by bringing up the kind of aspect that I see the Bill trying to bring up, that is strengthening those that were there. I really want to commend the Government that came into place in 2003; the NARC Government because it created quite a number of institutions which were able to shed some light on the fact that we can benefit from water. Previously, there were empty promises. Successive governments, through their campaign manifestos, promised that by the year 2000, there would be piped water in every household. But in that year, there was nothing. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, right now is a time for reforms. It is important that the aspects that have been talked about here such as the National Water Storage Authority; be responsible for the national waterworks. We need to do a lot of harvesting of water, even in schools. Some of the schools which have already put some tanks do not have water problems. You do not have to get piped water because you can collect quite a lot of water from the roofs. We need to strengthen the National Water Storage Authority. We have had the Water Sector Trust Fund, which should be more transparent because previously, it had been at the discretion of a few individuals such as the Minister and a few of his or her officers to decide where the funds should be utilized. It is high time that it is made open so that everybody knows what is happening. If there is allocation of money to every part of the country, it should be based on the needs, and everybody should be made aware. The other most important thing is to co-ordinate all the activities in this sector because if you compare it with the energy sector, we are very responsive to the issue of electricity. If water was run in the same way we run the Constituencies Development Fund - We have made suggestions in this House that we run it in the same way we run the CDF or the Constituency Road Funds - it would be much closer to the people and then we would have teams to manage it. Therefore, we need to put in place institutions to co-ordinate the Boards that were established after 2003. They have done well. For example, the Lake Victoria North Water Board or the Lake Victoria South Water Board, have worked well. But there is a disconnect between what they are doing and the services that they are supposed to render to the people. Therefore, we need to strengthen committees that deal with those Boards to make them more responsive to the needs of the people. We need political goodwill for this to happen. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}