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{
    "id": 774094,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/774094/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 225,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "content": "on rain based agriculture. In the past, we had the National Irrigation Board with limited activities in terms of growing sugar. But now we have the Moi Irrigation Scheme, Ahero Irrigation Scheme and a few irrigation schemes that are targeting certain parts of this country. This Bill is important because if we want to produce food in this country, we must develop and manage irrigation in Kenya and therefore this Bill is timely. We have many rivers in this country and enough water resources if they are only properly utilized. We have Athi River; many rivers in the Rift Valley and western regions, for example, River Nyando and River Nzoia. There are also many rivers at the coast where you can also have irrigation projects. Therefore, it is important that we pass this Bill so that we can put in place a serious framework for irrigation in this country. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Bill proposes to put in place a National Irrigation Development Authority which will have activities nationwide. In consultation with the county governments, it will be able to develop irrigation in many parts of this country. In the northern part of the country where I come from, we are told that 40 percent of that land is arable provided you have water. So, if we have water for irrigation, we would be able to produce food for this country. One of the policies of the national Government is to be food secure and no nation can call itself a nation if it cannot feed its people. Therefore, food security is important and we can only be food secure when can produce enough food through irrigation.The Bill gives roles to both the national Government and the county governments. The regulation and management shows that there is no conflict. We know that water is devolved but irrigation which is cross-cutting many counties is the mandate of the national Government in terms of regulation and control. In the Bill, irrigation services are defined and the requirement which is provision of water. Unfortunately, land has been utilized a lot for real estate development. The farmers who used to grow coffee have also turned into real estate. There is a lot of land which has been set aside for cash crop production like tea to earn foreign exchange. I happen to work in the foreign missions one time and wondered what we get out of tea and other cash crops which we send to other countries. We do not add value to our exports. It is high time we provided the land for irrigation to produce food that can improve the livelihood of Kenyans. If you travel to many parts of this country from village to village or from county to county, you will see in most homes there is no land to do irrigation. Therefore, we need to go out of our way to avail land because without land, water, proper regulations and management and governance structures for irrigation, we can do very little. The Bill proposes all that but it is important that we get serious and Kenyans avail land for irrigation so that this Bill can come to reality. Madam Temporary Speaker, I have no doubt that if we implement this content of the Bill we would be able to be food secure and change the culture of Kenyans of importing food. We grow maize but when there is shortage we import from Tanzania and other countries. This is a shame and we need to be food sufficient. We have several regional authorities in this country; Ewaso Nyiro Development Authority, Lake Basin Development Authority, Coast Development Authority and Kerio Valley Development 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"
}