Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 774114,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/774114/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 245,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "county irrigation development unit shall be charged with the responsibility of formulating and implementing an irrigation strategy. I heard the very good sentiments that were shared by the Senator for Taita Taveta about the envious manner in which they look at the progress that is being made in a county like Makueni which is their neighboring county. It is becoming increasingly clear for those of us that have followed this cycle of devolution. We are now in the second cycle. As we move to the third and the fourth cycles, certain counties will begin to move forward faster than others depending on the people charged with the responsibilities of leading those counties. Therefore, when you have it in law that every county must have an irrigation strategy of their own, led by a unit that is measured with specific deliverables upon which they can be measured, it is very important so that you can say that at county, for example, Kericho where I represent, our irrigation strategy is as follows. This is how we shall collect, retain and pump our water, and send it to the homes of certain people. We may even find certain corners of the county that are semi-arid areas and have an irrigation plant set up there. As we measure the success and failures of counties, one of the things that we shall be looking up to from now henceforth, is the existence of these irrigation units. There is also something that has really interested me about the relation between county governments and the national Government on matters, irrigation. That the authorities that exist shall develop a mechanism on return on investment formula resulting from the construction of irrigation schemes using public funds. This is something that is very important. You have seen billions of shillings being put into use yet the public are not assured of a return on their investment. Every time – as leaders put in public offices - we make decisions on behalf of people. We must assure them that we are taking Kshs5 billion, Kshs10 billion or Kshs20 billion from our public coffers and putting it into certain use and this is how we shall reap that return. I have seen that in this Bill they are proposing a water service users’ fee such that if you construct a dam, for example, in Kakamega County, and you have used either national or county resources, the people whose resources you have used should know that is the plan even before you do the project; that this shall be the project. The homes that we shall supply with water from this particular dam will pay us this amount and after a particular number of years, you will have gained back your money. This is very important. I have seen it is in line with the national Government programme where we have been told that between now and 2022, the national Government intends to put up 54 or 57 dams. From now henceforth, the public shall be assured that even if these dams are being constructed on loan, there is a return on investment such that in the long run, people will pay back the loan that was used and the Government will continue to earn monies from these particular resources that are being put into these projects. There is also another important aspect where they say the Cabinet Secretary shall establish an Integrated Water Resource Management. The programmes that we are doing and the dams we are building should not only be---. If they are large to a certain extent, 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"
}