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{
    "id": 963511,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/963511/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Halake",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13184,
        "legal_name": "Abshiro Soka Halake",
        "slug": "abshiro-soka-halake"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Statement by Sen. Wario. Counties in Northern Kenya are all submerged. We have wards and entire sub- counties under water in Isiolo County. We went to the Cabinet Secretary to explain to him and show him photos. The same thing is happening in Wajir, Garissa, Tana River and Mandera. All those counties are under water. I worked for the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) for a very long time and I brought a Statement to this House early in the year, as part of an early warning system. The Statement warned us of the La Niña effect that we were going to experience. It also asked for the measures that were being taken to prepare for it. I have not gotten a response to that Statement. It was referred to the Committee that is in charge of disaster management and preparedness. We will never get out of this cycle of drought and floods. We are all wondering of when we will get to look at sustainable ways of dealing with these floods. People have died in West Pokot due to something that we knew was coming. We cannot afford to lose so many people at one go. The meteorological department has data showing the patterns and cycles of La Niña and its effect. Why do we wait to scoop bodies? Why do we wait for people to die of hunger? Why do we subject our people to such great suffering when we know that these things happen so often and we even have early warning systems? As legislators, we tried to establish what the Government was planning to do now that we have data on the weather patterns yet we continue to experience these loses. It is time that this House does something. We have passed laws to govern this, but I do not know where they are. They could be at the National Assembly, but drastic measures have to be taken for us not to be a House that just talks. We should walk the talk. We should look for some sustainable solutions and put people to account. County governments should be the first responders. If you look at the budgets of the county governments, you will realise that the largest budget items are relief for droughts or floods. Those allocations at times get to 15 to 16 per cent of the total budget. Last year, over Kshs600 million was allocated to the office of the Governor for relief in my County. Have we seen responses that warrant such an amount on the ground? We also need to see a more sustainable approach. If not, we will continue talking as our people continue suffering. I support and I hope that the Committee will do something before we go on recess."
}