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{
    "id": 814886,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/814886/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 31,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have a lot of problems in terms of marketing but if we have proper structures in place, markets will improve and our harvest will improve too. The issues of crop failure will not affect us. In addition, we will sustain the production of our crops so that we do not rely on foreign countries to bring food to our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a simple Bill. There are certain issues that were raised last time when we introduced the Bill in the House that require amendment. Once it goes to the Committee, we will sieve out those issues and areas that require amendment. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Irrigation Development Authority which is important. Once we have the Authority in place, as outlined in Clause 7, then it will take care of the issues of irrigation schemes and strengthen the Authority that we have in place. Clause 8 of the Bill provides for the powers and functions of the Authority. This is clearly stipulated in the provisions of the Bill. It will guide the Authority on how the scheme will be managed. Clause 9 of the Bill provides for the Board of Authority. It is important for us to have a board in place so that it can guide in terms of policy and how the Authority is supposed to function. Clause 10 of the Bill provides for the conduct of business and the powers of the Board which will guide how it should operate. In Clause 12, there is a provision for the Chief Executive Officer who will run the day to day activities of the institution. Once we have this structure in place, we will be able to guide the institution properly if we get the right person. Clause 14 of the Bill provides for the role of the Government where the Cabinet Secretary is supposed to take care of how the Authority should run. Also, the county government is supposed to establish a structure that should be managed properly. Clause 15 provides where the Cabinet Secretary is supposed guide the stakeholders on how the irrigation scheme are supposed to operate. This Bill, once passed with the relevant amendments that the Members will introduce, we will have a better strategy in place on how irrigation schemes will be managed. Mr. Speaker, Sir, there are areas where we want to establish irrigations schemes and the issues of boundary disputes affect most of the counties that are supposed to have intercounty irrigations schemes. I believe that once Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.’s Bill goes through and we are able to fix our boundaries, then we can have intercounty irrigations schemes. In this Bill, there is a provision where research institutions are supposed to be established so that we can understand how the seeds are growing and what requires to be changed here and there. With irrigation schemes and research institutions, we can improve our production. This will also help us to increase budget provisions in our counties and promote participation of the stakeholders. Once the Public Participation Bill that is before the House is passed, we will have proper involvement of the stakeholders in this Bill that seeks to establish proper irrigation schemes in our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the land tenure system is a big problem in this country but if we can pull resources and energy towards irrigations schemes, we can solve problems here and there in terms of how land tenure system is used in this country. The Bill will help us 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."
}