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{
    "id": 67564,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/67564/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 174,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Eng. M.M. Mahamud",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Energy",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 373,
        "legal_name": "Mohammed Maalim Mahamud",
        "slug": "mohammed-mahamud"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to support this Motion and thank the Mover for the eloquent manner in which he has moved the Motion. The drought is here with us. This is not the first time we have had drought in this country. There have been many successive droughts. We have been experiencing drought before and the Government has been aware of it. There has been no preparedness. It is unfortunate that today, we are talking about ways of dealing with the drought when the effects have already been felt. There is a serious food shortage in the country and especially in northern Kenya. There is also a problem of shortage of water and lack of pasture for animals in that region. Already, animals and some people have started suffering. Some animals have already died. People are suffering due to lack of water and food. The Government has not put in place proper structures to mitigate the drought. We have been talking about mitigating the drought for many years. It is unfortunate that since Independence to date, we have not come up with ways of dealing with serious natural calamities. We do not have any coherent and deliberate policies and if they are there, they are just on paper and have not been put in place. It is time that we became serious and dealt with this natural disaster which is recurrent, and which will be with us for many years to come. Having said that, the issues at hand now is the emergency we must deal with. The drought is already there and we must now deal with the food issue. We must supply food to our people and ensure that no Kenyan dies out of hunger. I would like to challenge the Government and the Ministry concerned to come up with programmes and request the Treasury to fund them so that no Kenyan dies of hunger. It is a shame in the 21st Century for any Kenyan to die because of hunger. It is a shame in the 21st Century, for Kenyans to die due to lack of water. The shortage of water is serious. We have asked the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, in this House, to start water trucking. This problem also occurred in 2009 and a lot of money was allocated to that project. However, nothing was done. We do not want the same thing to happen again. The money in that project must be used to truck water. Water trucking business can be very confusing but the Ministry of Water and Irrigation will know how to do it. We can also be partners so that it is done properly. Our schools have not opened. With this kind of a problem, our children cannot pay their fees. Our animals have no market and all animal markets are not selling. We request, through this House, that teachers do not chase students away. But, how will they not chase them away if there is no money? We would like the Government to increase the subsidies they refer to as the Free Primary Education Funds and Free Secondary Education Funds to our region during this period when our people are suffering due to drought. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we need serious drought efforts to be put in place. I know that my colleagues have put in place an inter-ministerial group even though, as my colleagues have said, it has come too late. But it is better late than never. We would like this to be taken seriously and holistically in terms of water, food, fodder and school fees for our children. We have made people in our country dependant on relief food. We do not encourage our people to farm. That dependency is not sustainable. We have now reduced the food allocations that we used to give to our people. If you see the way food is given, it is very haphazard. We would like the Ministry of State for Special Programmes to look at the affected areas and address the food deficiency. The Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Livestock Development have officers in every region in this country. In every village, you will find an extension officer. However, whatever they do is questionable. We only hear about buying food. Buying food should not be in our culture. We should encourage our people to farm. We should buy maize from our people and not import. We are in a serious crisis and unless we act now, we will face a disaster. The Government should take this matter seriously. What we are saying here is not a talk show. We would like the Government to walk the talk. I beg to support."
}