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{
    "id": 788077,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/788077/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 113,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Josphat Wachira",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13441,
        "legal_name": "Josphat Kabinga Wachira",
        "slug": "josphat-kabinga-wachira-2"
    },
    "content": "Thank you Hon. Speaker for giving me this opportunity to support this very important Bill. This is probably one of the most important Bills that this House will pass this year. It looks at the management and development of irrigation schemes in this country. As we talk about that, we need to look at the experiences we have had in the past. At the outset, I declare that I will participate in committee proceedings, in looking at some of the clauses that are included in this Bill. I want to thank the Committee for accepting to listen to the presentations from the people of Mwea. As this House is aware, Mwea Irrigation Scheme is the largest scheme in this country. It is a scheme that was started from the colonial days in the 50s. It has come through a lot of problems and successes as we have today. There is a lot to be learnt from Mwea Irrigation Scheme by the schemes that are coming up. I like this Bill because it brings in the participation of the county governments in line with our Constitution. It recognises the existence of community associations like the Water Users Association, but I want this Committee to go further and look at how best we can manage our schemes out there. It is my opinion that the National Irrigation Board we are talking about be renamed National Irrigation Development Authority. It should concentrate more on development. It is necessary to give some of its powers on the management of the schemes to the various associations that we have in the country. When you look at the history of Mwea Irrigation Scheme, we are improving the relationship between the farmers, the associations and the National Irrigation Board. It has not been easy. A number of our colleagues may not be aware of how some of those schemes are managed. I want to bring to the attention of the House that the associations out there play a great part. We need to have them fully recognised in this Bill. The water users associations, for example, are the ones that collect funds from farmers involved in those schemes. They collect funds every season and pass over that money. In Mwea, we are talking about the collection of funds in excess of Kshs30 million every season. This money is passed to the National Irrigation Board which would then decide or propose what is to be done with it for the purposes of the management of the scheme. When members of the Mwea Irrigation Scheme came and presented their views to the Committee, they proposed two important things that I would wish to see well defined in this Bill. One, people of Mwea proposed that we should have a scheme management committee. That 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."
}