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{
    "id": 788042,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/788042/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 78,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. A.B. Duale",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 15,
        "legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
        "slug": "aden-duale"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, I beg to move that the Irrigation Bill 2017 be now read a Second Time. The agriculture sector contributes about 25 per cent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a further 27 per cent through the manufacturing, distribution and service sectors. This accounts for about 65 per cent of this country’s total export earnings. This sector employs over 80 per cent of the Kenya’s rural workforce and provides for more than 18 per cent of formal employment. In Vision 2030, agriculture is recognised and is given a lot of significance towards achieving that vision. The vision anticipates an average GDP growth rate of 10 per cent per year up to 2030. The Government has given priority in exploiting irrigation potential in our country to contribute to food and nutritional security in line with the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Bill of Rights in the Constitution of Kenya advocates for the right to be free from hunger and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. This clearly bestows a heavy mandate on the Government. In order to attain the envisaged economic growth and sustained food production, the country needs to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture and increase irrigation-based systems that allow production throughout the year. Irrigation accounts for 1.7 per cent of the total land under agriculture but still that meagre 1.7 per cent of the land contributes 3 per cent to the GDP and provides 18 per cent of the value of agricultural produce. This demonstrates the potential in irrigation. Therefore, we must invest in order to get increased agricultural production and productivity. The objective and importance of this piece of legislation is to establish a mechanism in terms of regulation, development, management, financing and provision of support services in the entire irrigation subsector. This Bill is designed to deal with the irrigation subsector. It deals with its regulation, development, management, financing and provision of support services. A very strong law on irrigation is desirable in our country because it is going to promote and regulate the development and management of a sustainable irrigation system in Kenya. Countries like Egypt, Sudan and many other countries in Africa and across the world have used irrigation not only to feed their citizenry but they produce surplus, which they export and earn substantial foreign exchange for themselves. The Cabinet Secretary (CS) responsible for agriculture, the Chair of the Departmental Committee on Agriculture and Livestock and the Deputy President of The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}