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{
    "id": 681309,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/681309/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 83,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Abdalla",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 382,
        "legal_name": "Amina Ali Abdalla",
        "slug": "amina-abdalla"
    },
    "content": "Table of the House on Thursday, 28th July 2016, and approves the Mediated Version of the Water Bill (National Assembly Bill No.8 of 2014). This House passed the Water Bill on 7th July, 2015, after which the Senate passed the same with amendments on 31st March, 2016. The Committee of the National Assembly considered the Senate’s amendments to the Bill on 7th June, 2016 and disagreed with the Senate on certain clauses. A Mediation Committee was established and mediation took place on 22nd July, 2016. The following are the decisions that have been agreed to with regard to the contentious clause: The first contentious clause was the fact that the Senate had added a definition to the word “wetlands” yet that word does not appear in the Bill. As a Mediation Committee, we have agreed not to have the word “wetlands” defined in the Bill. Secondly, on Clause 8, the Mediation Committee agreed that water for domestic use should be given priority under water works. In Clause 8(b), the Mediation Committee agreed with the National Assembly that the review of the water strategy should remain at every three years and the overall change at every five years. The Mediation Committee also agreed with the National Assembly that the powers to make regulations should remain with the Cabinet Secretary as stipulated in Clause 140 of the Bill. In Clause 64, the National Assembly agreed and expanded the proposals from the Senate that members of the board of water works agencies should come from the basin that the water work is located. In Clause 75, we disagreed with the Senate on forming monopolies of water services providers. The mediated version is that every county should establish as many water services providers as they wish. In Clause 102, the Mediation Committee agreed with the National Assembly that we should not replace the word “licensee” with the word “water user” because it would prejudice the rights of the licensee. In Clause 114, the Mediation Committee noted and agreed with the Senate. The Committee only added the words “registered community organisation”. This is the clause that stipulates who the Water Trust Fund can loan money to. In the past, the loanees disappeared because they were not registered community groups. This version ensures that any group that is lent money by the Water Trust Fund is a registered community group so that the organisation does not lose money. Hon. Speaker, I am very happy and proud of the mediated version of Clause 115. This is the clause in which the Senate had declined to have the Equalisation Fund and the county governments contributing to projects that are implemented by the Water Trust Fund. The mediated version retains that the Equalisation Fund money and county government money can be used to do joint ventures in the respective counties but with a rider that it can only be done when it has been only agreed between the respective recipient county or constituency that is to receive the Equalisation Fund. I am truly happy about this mediated version. Those were the contentious clauses and we finally agreed on everything. This is going to be the mediated version of the Bill. If passed today by my colleagues, it will be signed by the President. I therefore, ask Hon. Njogu Barua who was the other Member of the Mediation Committee to second."
}