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{
    "id": 531320,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/531320/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 292,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Athi River Development Authority and many others. We should ask ourselves what we are trying to solve here because we are just creating authorities. I think we are not assisting Kenyans in any way by creating these authorities. We need to sit down and critically look at what we are trying to address. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we know very well that given the climate change, we do not expect these droughts to end. In fact, we expect them to be more severe and longer. So, we cannot sort them out or cushion our people through just coming up with authorities. Can we think critically and see what we can do to come up with some projects or programmes which will enable our people to develop or adopt ways of living, which will make them to withstand these droughts? When you go through this Bill, it seems that this authority does not seem to go the extra mile. It is just like any other authority. For example, in northern Kenya, there is the Ewaso Nyiro North Development Authority which covers a very big part of northern Kenya, all the way from Nanyuki, Laikipia to Mandera. I have gone to those offices and when you ask them what they are doing; they tell you that they do not have any funds. They will tell you that they are waiting for funds from the Ministry of Water and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Devolution and Planning or the National Youth Service (NYS). We are taking ourselves round in circles. Nobody can say that drought is not a problem in this country. What I am saying is that, it is even getting worse because of climate change. Why can we not sit down and look at what is affecting our people? As a Government, what can we do to cushion our people against drought? How can we make their ways of life adaptable to the climate change, so that we can have better ways of cushioning our people by coming up with grand projects which will make their ways of life sustainable? Maybe, that could be the only way that we can go. Otherwise, with this trend of coming up with authority after authority and superimposing them, we may not assist our people. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, right now, we have the NDMA and other authorities like the Ewaso Nyiro Development Authority. On the ground, they cover the same areas and do almost similar projects. However, the main issue is the focus and funding of those projects. In the Constitution, we have something called the Equalization Fund which is supposed to address these areas on how to improve infrastructure so that we can at least improve the livelihoods of our people. However, since the promulgation of the Constitution, this could be the fourth year and none of those funds have actually trickled to the ground. The other day, we were told in a forum of pastoralists leaders that the Equalization Fund will be used by the national Government to create a similar outreach like this NDMA, which will still be run from Nairobi. That is duplication. We do not need these structures or authorities; what we need are the funds to get to the people on the ground. Let us improve on how we deliver the services to the people by making sure that we have the necessary funds availed to the people. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you look at Part Three of this Bill which talks of financial provisions, it just says that they will establish a fund to be known as the National Drought Emergency Fund. If we are serious enough, then we should say where The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}