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{
    "id": 67594,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/67594/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 204,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Ms. Mathenge",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Special Programmes",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 77,
        "legal_name": "Esther Murugi Mathenge",
        "slug": "esther-murugi"
    },
    "content": "Unfortunately, one of the things we have realized is that although we have food and we are delivering food, in many areas there is no water. In Turkana where I was yesterday, we were assured that 28 dams and pans had been dug in 2008 but only 13 are functioning. We want to know through the Ministry of Water and Irrigation what happened to the other 15 dams and pans. I hope they are going to brief me. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we also want to do mitigation on a short term basis. This is to make sure that we have feeding points in all the functional water points so that anybody who is hungry; the old and children, can have food ferried to where they have easy access. We also want to recommend to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Livestock that farmers who have ranches buy livestock so that conflict between human beings and livestock because of water can be reduced. The other things we are doing is increasing the school feeding programmes. We are doing this both in primary and secondary schools to ensure that no student is absent from school because of lack of food. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I believe that with these programmes that we have put in place, we are not going to lose any lives. I hope that the relevant Members of Parliament can also help us educate the pastoral communities so that we can reduce the number of livestock kept. As the climate change comes, we have to change our lifestyles. If we do not do this, this will be happening year in, year out. I want to assure hon. Members that we do not want to call this drought a national disaster as yet because if you go to the north Rift and even parts of the south Rift, there is a lot of maize. We just need to work out the logistics so as to ensure that everybody gets food on their table. I want the Minister for the Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Areas to add a little on what he is doing. Thank you."
}