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{
    "id": 814976,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/814976/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 121,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "We need to have health facilities around irrigation schemes because there is a lot of stagnant water. In addition, there is no safe drinking water because there are chemicals and fertilizers which are used in the irrigation schemes. As a result, so many diseases prevail in the irrigation schemes. Therefore, it is important for this Bill to factor in health facilities so that the people who live in irrigation schemes can have access to them and also clean water for domestic use. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, agriculture is a fully devolved function. However, as you can see in Clause 9 of this Bill, all the people who manage irrigation schemes come from Nairobi where the headquarters is located. This denies the people from irrigation schemes full authority to be involved in those schemes. The county governments are also reluctant to get involved. The governor would tell you: “The irrigation scheme is managed by the board, which is chaired by somebody in Nairobi.” It is the high time we said no to this Bill and sent it back to where it originated from, so that they can clean and iron out some few things. Thereafter, when it comes back, we will have a Bill that will cater for the people who live in those irrigation schemes. It is ridiculous to see people who live in irrigation schemes still experiencing food insecurity when this is where crops are grown. When we see people from those areas begging for relief food, then we know that the true meaning of food production is lost. Therefore, we need to restore the irrigation schemes and ensure that crops are grown. The people who live on those schemes should be food secure before they sell their produce to other places. At the moment, this is not the case. With those few remarks, I strongly oppose this Bill."
}