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{
    "id": 814993,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/814993/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
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    "content": "must fragment, reduce areas and allow a smaller board or a unit within the unit if the county to manage this for us. I do not see how a CS shall develop and manage irrigation throughout Kenya. It is not possible and this is what we were running away from. We were running away from the massive projects that are not efficient. We were going towards smaller units as counties, where we can efficiently perform and do our work. Therefore, the National Irrigation Authority needs to be amended to be a county irrigation board. We need to introduce that as we amend this Bill. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, Part IV of the Bill is on the responsibility of the County Government. What has been taken from the county government is being introduced in small doses, as though the county governments have no power to do this work. In fact, from the outset of the statement, it is a disaster. Clause 14(1) says- “Each county government may, within its area of jurisdiction, establish a county irrigation development unit for the better carrying out of an irrigation function delegated by the Cabinet Secretary as may be prescribed in the Regulations”. You may if you wish, but you do not need to have it. An Individual farmer may irrigate without any control because the way this Bill has been written does not take care of the powers that were given to counties in the Constitution. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I think this Bill will be an example in this House of how we should do things in the new constitutional dispensation. We should use this Bill to distinguish between what was devolved and what was not. If truly we devolved agriculture, we need to manage it at that level. We know that we will be able to see different efficiencies in different counties. However, the regulation and the law pertaining to irrigation remains in the national Government, as was anticipated by the Constitution. When it comes to development of irrigation, I support that these is an area that must be corrected by this Bill, so that the county governments can function the way they were set up in the Constitution. With those remarks, a lot of amendments must be put in place before we---"
}