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{
    "id": 812266,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/812266/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 157,
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    "content": "I am glad that after that incident, the security forces have had better inter-agency cooperation. These days, they even do some training together to solve and resolve such incidences. But then again one life lost is one life too many. On top of lack of coordination, multiple actors and approaches make efficiency in prevention and mitigation too difficult to achieve. Additionally, these agencies are confronted with limited budgetary allocations, a lot of challenges associated with cumbersome procurement processes and non-availability of specialized equipment for effective disaster management interventions. You will be shocked to know, being a professor, in this entire country, in case of a biochemical attack, it is only the Kenya Red Cross that is equipped to respond and save lives. The equipment they have is limited to just tens of people. We put resources into other things and end up spending much more when it comes to rebuilding after the disaster has happened. Data collection and storage is not uniformly adequate and this has resulted in poor planning, lack of institutional memory, lack of effective monitoring and evaluation of disaster risk training, analysis and focus. Madam Temporary Speaker, this Bill will bring together the staff under The National Disaster Operations Center, the National Disaster Management Unit, the Department of Special Programmes under the auspices of the proposed National Disaster Management Authority. The main promise is to approach disaster risk management in a manner that seeks first to respond effectively and timely to any disaster. Secondly, to prevent the adverse effects of disaster and recover as many people as possible and save the livelihood of the communities affected by disasters. I know Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr., while responding to the Bill will talk about the preventative measures and the early warning signals that we require. I have only 30 minutes and then Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. will take the rest. Madam Temporary Speaker, under the Fourth Schedule, this is a function of both the national Government and county governments. Counties are expected to be the first responders in case of a disaster in the county. However, there has been no mechanism to implement this function at the county level and coordinate between the national Government and the county governments. This Bill provides a framework for the coordination and resourcing to address these gaps. Its enactment will assist in efficient and effective management of disasters across the country. Madam Temporary Speaker, our counties are playing around when it comes to disasters. They are allocating little resources, and many times, the percentage that has been uniform across the country has been used to siphon funds from public coffers. I will give the example of the County Government of Nairobi and other Senators will talk about their counties. Out of a budget of Kshs32 billion that has just been passed in Nairobi City County, the amount of money that has been set out for fire and disaster management is Kshs162 million; that is under the recurrent budget. The development budget for fire and disaster management in Nairobi City County is Kshs10 million, out of a budget of Kshs32 billion, and this is a county that is most affected by disasters every two or three weeks. We are joking and must get serious. After allocating Kshs10 million for disasters management, the same county has Kshs129 million for a budget item called news and information. I have able Members of 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."
}