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{
    "id": 767203,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/767203/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 193,
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    "content": "Government institutions such as the NDMA doing their own things. Can we have one institution that is responsible for that so that we have proper impact on the affected areas? Thirdly is to protect livelihoods of vulnerable households during droughts. This is not happening or taking place as required by law. If we sit down as a country and also as legislatures to pass legislation in order to make sure that this happens, then only few people will be dying. Very many people die because of drought. Very many people end up eating dogs or from meat, which is not allowed in some of communities. We have to be serious about the sanctity of life and also take care of people who are affected during droughts. Fourthly is to facilitate coordination action by the Government and other stakeholders towards ensuring enduring drought emergencies in the country. Could the Government ensure that NDMA is properly facilitated to deal with the emergencies? If you look across the board, you will find that the Government spends a lot of money to mitigate drought but if you go on the ground, it is like nothing happens and this has to be dealt with. It is true that people die and we have to do something as a country. There is also an aspect of knowledge management of ending drought emergencies in Kenya. Kenyans, especially those living in northern Kenya are harshly affected by the drought but do not even know. Such information should be provided by the relevant institutions of the Government, especially the NDMA. It is important to sensitise members of the public and officers serving Government institutions to make sure that people are prepared before drought falls. If you look at the budget of the NDMA, you will see that this financial year, they were allocated Kshs38.6 million only which is just recurrent expenditure and that cannot do anything. It is important for the Government to enhance and make sure that this institution is facilitated because they cover vast areas which are also far apart. Those areas are very dry and the roads are not even passable yet that is the money they utilize for that purpose. We need to do something about this. Again, early warning is very important because without early warning, we cannot deal with the issues of drought. It is important for us to make sure that the institution is facilitated. The issue of emergencies and especially drought should be harmonized in this country. Unless we do that, we will not be helping our people in this country. This has to be taken very seriously. Under the Act, they are supposed to have created a fund known as the Multi- donor National Emergency Fund. This is something that should have helped this process, but unfortunately since this legislation was passed in April, 2016, up to now, this fund is not operational simply because rules and regulations have not been developed. Rules and regulations cannot hold this country at ransom. I am aware that right now there is Kshs2 billion in the NDMA account that has not been utilised. The reason why it has not been utilised is because they do not have rules and regulations to allow them utilize the funds. Why do we create such funds if we cannot help our people? It is really important that we move with speed. I am addressing the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and his counterpart in charge of Devolution and Planning to make sure that rules and regulations are developed as early as 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."
}