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{
    "id": 905653,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/905653/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 114,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 210,
        "legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
        "slug": "moses-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to make a very brief contribution to this Statement. Something that the distinguished Senator for Homa Bay has said has struck my mind. That the national Government or county government has given and leased away a part of the lake to a private investor is unimaginable. Does it mean that that section of the lake - 200 acres - is a no-go-zone for the locals? This is an outrage. The Government can regulate fishing in the lake, and under the law of the sea that also applies to inland mass water areas, you cannot demarcate water bodies for private gain. What you can do is to regulate how resources can be exploited. The fishermen of Suba, Homa-Bay and around the lake all the way to Sio Port in Busia County have depended on the lake for their livelihood. There are some who go to the lake to fish for commercial reasons and others for family livelihood. They pick a few pieces of fish for the family to eat on a day to day basis. For anybody to imagine that they can hive off part of the lake and hand over to an investor - and God forbid, I hope he is not a Chinese - and give them exclusive rights to the exclusion of local residents who are the custodians of this resource from time in memorial, is an assault on the dignity, sovereignty and Independence of our country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I urge whichever Committee you are passing this matter to look at, even if it is just a Statement--- The Standing Orders enjoin you with the authority to direct a particular Committee to look at a Statement of this nature and file a report to the House because the interests of the people of the counties that we defend and represent are under threat. Finally, as a House, we also need to look at the Bill that the Senator has referred to that we passed and has been assented to but not operationalised. We have maintained and subjected our fishermen to rudimental activities. For example, simple construction of landing bays for hygiene has not been done. Fishing is a major undertaking to the extent that the country has mobilized itself to embrace and exploit the Blue Economy which is The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}