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"id": 57721,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. C. Kilonzo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 46,
"legal_name": "Charles Mutavi Kilonzo",
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"content": "If you get Kshs40 million, you can get at least 10 boreholes per constituency. You will then be assured that each constituency will get boreholes. I am saying so, because in my constituency after eight years in Parliament, I have only got four boreholes from the Government. Under CDF, I have close to 35 boreholes. The reason why there is the CDF is failure by the Government to plan according to the needs of the people. We, as Members of Parliament, would hardly be managing the CDF if the Executive was able to plan. My work as an MP will not be organizing on how to drill a borehole. I will be asking the Government on the quality of the work done. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, so, the Government still needs to go back to the drawing board and assist the Ministry. We appreciate the Minister has done a lot. One challenge which I do recognize is that when the Minister took over this ministry, there was barely Kshs15 billion for water. We are now close to Kshs60 plus billion. That is a plus but there are challenges. I have noted that the Committee has said clearly that: âOne of the biggest challenges we have is pollution of our water sources, bodies and riversâ. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, many years back, there was a very popular question about roofs being blown away by wind. That has gone. It has been replaced with the issue of pollution of our lakes and rivers. Every other day, there is a Question appearing on the Order Paper. In fact, every day, there are not less than two questions dealing with the issue of pollution. We have issues with the Athi and Chania rivers. Today, it was Ruiru. We have Lake Naivasha. The problems is all over. These are some of the new challenges. But it appears there is lack of co-ordination within the Government. The issue of pollution of our water sources is becoming complicated. I want to give a good example, just to confirm what hon. Wekesa has said. I drilled a borehole in my constituency about a year ago. The water was tested and it was good for human consumption. This year, I got a donor to equip it. The second test shows that the borehole is now contaminated. These are some of the challenges. So, what we are asking the Government to do, in as much as we are supporting the Minister--- She needs us more than her Ministry. She needs the involvement of all the players, and the Government itself. It appears that, as we provide those water sources, they are also getting contaminated. We have a Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources which is a lame duck. Unless it is pushed, it cannot even take somebody to court. The Government itself should not leave this ministry to do the work alone. This ministry is life. Water is life. More money should be given to it. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is a Member of Parliament from Turkana. There are no names for you but it could be you. He keeps on inviting me to go to Turkana but I ask myself: âIs there water in Turkana in the first place?â That is because the pictures I see on television are very sad. So, the Minister has done a lot and we have no question about it. But the Government needs to come in squarely. If you go to Garissa, there is Tana River. But is the Government pumping more money in the canals there? Surely, we cannot leave that to the Minister alone. Madam Minister, you are in the Cabinet and, therefore, you need to push the Government to understand that barely a day goes in this House without a Question being asked about the water sector. That means priorities have gradually changed. They are now focused on water. You rarely get a Question on roads in a week. You may get one"
}