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{
    "id": 746922,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/746922/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 365,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. M’uthari",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1576,
        "legal_name": "Joseph M'eruaki M'uthari",
        "slug": "joseph-meruaki-muthari"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that Article 43 of the Constitution provides that every person has the right to clean and safe water in adequate quantities; further aware that water harvesting is an important practice for water management; cognizant of the fact that earth-dams and water-pans would play a key role in water harvesting especially in arid and semi-arid areas; noting that a large quantity of run-off water goes to waste in most parts of the country; further noting that this run-off water if properly harvested and managed would be useful for domestic, livestock and irrigation purposes; appreciating that increased infrastructural development especially in roads has led to the mobilization of machineries and human resources in most areas; further appreciating that these civil engineering machineries and personnel can be useful in the construction of earth-dams and water-pans; this House resolves that the Government through the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development ensures that all road designs and constructions incorporate run-off water harvesting and management mechanisms. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, aware that Kenya is a water scarce country and that in this republic, at the moment and in the recent past, we have had heavy investment in infrastructure and development especially on roads, and aware that the machineries which are used for road construction can as well be used for preparing water pans, it would be very helpful to this country, for this House to resolve that having just a little addition in terms of financial resources, we could kill two birds with one stone. We could have infrastructural development and at the same time, we could harvest water. You are aware that in the recent past we have been importing maize. This is the time that we should take the issue of water harvesting seriously. I have visited countries like South Africa and I realised that even the wine that is sold here is made from vine that grow in arid lands like in the Orange State where most of the water is harvested. Once this water is harvested, some of it can be cleaned for domestic use. Looking at the road construction processes and the machinery that is used, if we were in a position to harvest every drop of rain water, including the recent rainfall, we can collect enough water for use in this country for two years. That water can be enough to cater for domestic use, irrigation and livestock watering purposes. The biggest cost incurred when constructing water pans and earth water dams is in terms of mobilisation of machinery and making the machinery accessible. Once the road designs are made, we can use the same equipment utilised at an extra The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}