HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 887432,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/887432/?format=api",
"text_counter": 322,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Ndhiwa, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Martin Owino",
"speaker": {
"id": 13449,
"legal_name": "Martin Peters Owino",
"slug": "martin-peters-owino"
},
"content": "starvation in our country. That trend is not new to us. Despite this being the case, we always employ a risk management style in response. To me, that is a real concern. In 2001 and 2002, we used Kshs14 billion to distribute relief foods in response. If only a quarter of that money could have been used to put up an integrated approach with policies and systems to make sure that drought does not occur or if it does, it is fully responded to, we would not be in the circumstances we are now. It seems as if we only respond to situations when they occur and forget. This propensity of the Government addressing relief and not real development solutions is pathetic. We cannot react the same way year in, year out and lose lives. Sometimes it seems to me, which is very sad that some people who are enjoying the wealth of this country are insensitive to what is happening to other Kenyans. In this country, some people drink cold water and take bath with hot water. They eat downstairs and sleep upstairs. They drive or are driven to work, and over the weekend they ride bikes. They do not know what happens to the common man. I watched with awe when Government officials were responding to the crisis in Turkana and Baringo counties verbally. The apathy shown by the Government verbal response was, to say the least, terrible. I can remember seeing the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Disaster Management Authority saying authoritatively that there is no link between starvation and death. When you starve, it means you have severe shortage of nutrients which are required to sustain life. When the body realises that there are no enough nutrients, what it does is to shut down the organs so that they can use little fat and vitamin depositories to survive and that leads to death. That is why people are dying. When somebody in a position of a CEO says that there is no link between starvation, drought and death, it shows that we appoint wrong people to wrong positions. Such people should resign immediately. The worst part of it is that this drought is affecting expectant women and those lactating. From research, it is obvious that if expecting mothers lack nutrients chances of them is very high. Apart from that, they do not eat, they struggle, wander and wake up to look for the poisonous fruits for the kids. So, we are losing them. Malnourished children will also not survive. This is happening across our country under our watch. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the mortality rate will be higher than what we see now. This is the case and yet we are being told: “Do not panic”. There is no cause for alarm. We are not in a crisis.” This is pathetic. Picture the issue of lack of water. If you are hungry, you stay under scorching heat and there is no water and food, even if you survive for a day or two you will die. That is what is going on in the counties of Baringo and Turkana, and it is very sad. After that we are told that there are about 4,000 dams to be renovated at Kshs2 billion. The luckiest country in Africa and, indeed, in the world is Kenya, which has Lake Victoria. This lake measures almost 27,000 square miles. That is a natural dam. Why do we use so much money in artificial dams and yet we have the largest “dam” in Africa? We need to use that water to grow crops. In fact, if well used, it can serve everybody. Why should the Egyptians use the same water to grow food crops and export them to us? Tanzania is doing the same and yet we are leaning on a treaty which is not even visible. The matter is very absurd. Around Lake Victoria, there are 45,000 potential areas for irrigation that can alleviate the situation. We lack strategic planning to address the matter holistically. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}