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{
    "id": 788082,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/788082/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 118,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Ounda",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13331,
        "legal_name": "Wilberforce Ojiambo Oundo",
        "slug": "wilberforce-ojiambo-oundo-2"
    },
    "content": "In this country, we have not had lack of legislation and rules, but we have had a problem with implementation. It is unfortunate that many people who are entrusted with the responsibility to manage those authorities go there not necessarily to serve the people, but generally to squander or enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers. If we do an audit or evaluate the performance of most of those authorities, it is dismal. Therefore, it is important that the new authority being proposed here is strong and capable of meeting the mandate and the provisions of this particular Bill. It looks nice. The National Irrigation Development Authority ought to have a bigger mandate and a higher budget compared to the National Irrigation Board. We hope it will manage irrigation schemes in this country properly and professionally. My honest view is that the authority proposed should minimise direct implementation of projects of irrigation schemes and probably rely on agents and mostly concentrate on policy, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of the performance of various irrigation schemes, whether funded by the public, private or county governments. That is because, eventually, it is the drawers of water who suffer and the users of the rivers get inconvenienced if there is no proper management of those projects. I have an example. At the point of the Committee of the whole House, we will move some amendments. I am particularly not impressed by Clause 9 which requires that the CS shall appoint six members and approved by the President. I get a bit confused because I thought the CS works at the behest of the President. All the decisions that he or she takes must have the blessing of the President and must have been approved at the Cabinet level. So it looks a bit confusing and unnecessarily complicated. I would imagine the CSs acts on behalf of the President who is the Head of the Executive. There are many other amendments that we will move at that particular time. To conclude, I come from a constituency that, for many years, was food- sufficient. But in the recent 20 or so years, we have continuously become a food-insufficient constituency. That is Funyula Constituency. As we speak now, we are basically unable to provide food for ourselves. If it was not for the good relationship we have with our neighbours in Uganda, we would generally have to rely on relief food. That is because we are one and the same. We are able to exchange our commodities and ensure that we survive the hard times. We must find a way of having two crops in a year. That is why it was refreshing to see NIB start the Lower Siwo Irrigation Project Area 5 and, specifically, the Nanundu Manja Irrigation Project. It is again very disappointing that, since 2010, the project has never been completed. We have had so many interactions with NIB and they seem to suggest that they have no money to complete the project. It is my humble appeal to the Government to adequately fund NIB to complete projects they have already started before considering new projects. That is because public money has been spent and is going to waste and yet, the beneficiaries of the project can no longer benefit from the project. A project that was supposed to cover about 675 hectares benefitting 500 households has stalled. We, therefore, need, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that NIB has sufficient funding and capacity to complete projects they have started before a new board comes in. With those very few remarks, Hon. Speaker, I stand to support the Bill. Thank you."
}