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{
    "id": 812306,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/812306/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 197,
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    "content": "everybody wants to take credit; everybody wants to be in charge. The motivation sometimes is not to help, but it is to get what is there. Regarding the Westgate incident, we were told huge caches of money were lost. We need to have a situation where the buck stops somewhere. When the buck seems to be stopping at many doors, then everybody has room for mischief. This Authority is welcome because it is not a national Government initiative. When you look at Schedule Four, issues to do with fire services are actually devolved. So, it gives effect to the National Disaster Management Authority, but also the county committees. When you look at the composition of the committees, they are quite representative. We must recognize the fact that the first people who respond when there is disaster must be the local authorities. Right now, we are asking ourselves what Nairobi County Government did when fire broke out in Gikomba Market. These committees are critical because they will enable counties to take action in cases of disasters. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, the composition of these committees includes the civil society. Today, the most reputable organization that works on issues of disaster is the Kenya Red Cross Society. We, as a country, recognize it as a statutory body. We have a statute passed by this august House which recognized them. Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure that we work with this organization and others. During disaster time, many people masquerades as experts who are ready to do this and that. Yes, indeed, we need to get all these actors in case of disaster, but we need to co-ordinate them. The Kenya Red Cross Society has done a great job. I have personally worked with them in various initiatives. Mr. Abbas Gullet and Governor Mahmud must be recognized because they have contributed a lot in helping poor people and children who become disabled during disaster. At times, they have sent those children to Spain and other countries for surgery. We want to put our money where our mouth is. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I am sure this body will ensure that we get value for our money. Sometimes the costing of disaster is left in limbo. When there is drought in this country, we always open up our ports for importation. However, this process is abused. The Government uses colossal amounts of money because nobody is watching and during that time we suspend procurement procedures. With this Act, we will be able to put in place proper mechanism to cushion the abuse of public office and funds by individuals who have been given the role to superintend over disasters. We cannot have a situation where we have calamities and let a few people benefit from them. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Nairobi is very popular because it is the home to refugees from very unstable regions. We have people from Somalia, the Great Lakes Region and Burundi. It is a pity that some people want to benefit from other peoples’ calamities. We have best practices that make us more resilient to disasters and demonstrate to the world that we can decisively deal with our own matters. The other critical issue here is that of people living with disabilities. That is what I represent here. Article 11 of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stipulates that in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, the first people to be evacuated would be persons with disabilities. This is a global policy action that is 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."
}