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{
    "id": 701528,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/701528/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 370,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "October 18, 2016 SENATE DEBATES 46 The Senate Minority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I came running because I was involved in mobilizing colleagues to support Sen. (Prof.) Anyang'-Nyong'o, the Senator for Kisumu. If you look at the history of water in this country, we have been classified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a water deficit country. That makes it imperative that we jealously protect our water sources. I laud my brother, friend and co-principal in CORD, the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for raising this issue. I encourage those who are reacting in a haphazard and erratic manner to pay attention to the message instead of looking at the messenger. What does the message say? It says that the project is not environmentally advisable. It will cause a disaster not only in Murang’a but in all riparian counties downstream up to the Indian Ocean. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I heard somebody making a very simplistic rejoinder that the water will go into the Indian Ocean, anyway. I am also sad that our colleague, the Senator for Murang’a is not here. I talked to him personally and told him that he had to be here to support this Motion because I have heard him make very positive statements about this but what are we seeing now? In the media today, we are told that Members of Parliament (MPs) from Murang’a have been given money by the Government – Kshs50 million each – to convolute their thinking and corrupt their mind so that they do not raise any issue about this project. This is state money. Nobody has money to give anybody for free. In fact, when Sen. Njoroge brought the matter here, I urged that we want a full audit of public water projects in this country. Without even focusing on the environmental issues of this tunnel, the cost is an issue. Last night, I met some friends from Murang’a County and they told me that they fear for their county because all the streams that are being tapped at source, ostensibly to fill up Sasumua Dam, are going to dry up. Therefore, tea, maize andpotato growing will suffer and no animal will drink any water any more. All this is to satisfy, not the provision to the people of Nairobi County but the greed of those involved in taking kickbacks. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I have gone even further and asked the Governor for Nairobi County whether he is aware of this project since the water is coming to his county. He has never been involved even once. He has never been called to any meeting, neither does he know the conception of the project or the cost. All he hears is that there is a tunnel tapping water to fill up the dam to provide water for Nairobi County. We have said here before that before the water comes to Nairobi County, even the people of Murang’a County deserve to be given water but nobody wants to pay attention to that. Instead, what are we hearing now? The Governor for Murang’a County, who escaped by a whisker here on serious corruption charges, is now the one who is hurling rocks at Hon. Raila for raising the issue. He says that Hon. Raila is playing cheap politics. We are not playing cheap politics. We are concerned about the future, environment and children of this country. We are concerned about Kenya as a country. This idea of putting self before the country will destroy our country. I saw the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Water - poor young man - reading a rehearsed text content he did not even seem to have understood or appreciated. You could even see from his body language that he did not believe in what he was saying. But because he has to protect his 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"
}