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{
"id": 1399921,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399921/?format=api",
"text_counter": 222,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": "effectiveness and coordinated disaster preparedness. How do we prevent, respond, mitigate and recover from disasters instead of waiting for disasters to happen? For many years, Budalang’i Constituency has been ravaged by floods. When River Nyando and River Nzoia break their banks, people suffer. For instance, the famous lady of ‘ serikali saidia ’ during the late President Mwai Kibaki’s regime brought to the fore the sufferings of the people of Budalang’i from floods. The Government at that time, was moved by those calls to establish dykes and other mitigation measures. However, we do not have to wait for Kenyans to cry out. We should be proactive to see to it that we not only prevent disasters but also ensure that Kenyans recover quickly post-disasters. This Bill also seeks to reduce disaster risks and vulnerabilities at the national and county levels of governments. Members are aware that every county and the national Government have funds set aside for unforeseen emergencies. These contingency funds are never utilised for the right purposes. When disasters hit counties, the governors have no resources yet in their budgets, they had budgeted for contingency funds for such eventualities. By the time disaster hits them, they are ill-prepared and always calling upon the national Government to come to their rescue."
},
{
"id": 1399922,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399922/?format=api",
"text_counter": 223,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": "We want to have a coordinated process to ensure each county budgets and provides funds for disaster mitigation and management. As Members of Parliament in charge of budget making, how do we ensure that the contingency monies set aside to deal with disaster management are appropriated for that purpose? We should coordinate so that when it is a county-level disaster restricted within a particular county, they can first utilise their resources before they go out to look for help. We have measures to know through a disaster management authority how to coordinate the mobilisation of resources. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as a country we had to look for people in the private sector and corporate world, set up an ad hoc committee and mobilise resources. That was done to look for gloves or masks that were required to prevent loss of lives and further spread of COVID-19. All these things have served to remind us as a country that we are always ill-prepared, and are caught flatfooted when disaster strikes. It is high time we prepare in a way to enhance our resilience to the impacts of disasters and other risks. We are now in the discussions of climate change and how to mitigate issues to do with climate change. With the change in climate, floods and hurricanes have become common. If we do not take deliberate measures for re-afforestation, soil erosion and landslides would be common. We should have a system where somebody keeps check of what we are doing, both at the national and county levels. As we deal with climate change mitigation measures, we should also look at the effects of the changes in our climate such as floods and soil erosion which washes away all the good soil and nutrients that our crops need. This is exposing us to other disasters such as hunger, drought and landslides in landslide-prone areas like Murang’a and Elgeyo Marakwet. In West Pokot, a disaster struck about two or three years ago. There was a small unit that was meant to deal with disasters then, and was hosted by the then Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. The former Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Fred Matiangi told the country unashamedly, that he could not access the disaster area because of the weather at that time, while flying a military helicopter. The then Deputy President however, with a small civilian helicopter, was able to access the place. That speaks to the disdain and contempt that some of our public officers had with the Kenyan people, not relating to the suffering of the people when disaster strikes. It took the then Deputy President who is now serving as our President, to fly in a private chopper and mobilise resources from Kenyans to help the people of West Pokot then. I was hoping that the Member of Parliament from that area was here. You do not know when other such disasters will strike. We do not want to find ourselves in a situation where our The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1399923,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399923/?format=api",
"text_counter": 224,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": "current Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration claims that because of weather, while he has choppers and navigation equipment, he cannot access a certain place. We want to find ourselves well-prepared. I agree with the Committee's Report that in hindsight, there are certain changes that we can make to this Bill. I agree with them on the deletion of some clauses like 5, 6 and 7 that touch on the establishment of an intergovernmental council that will comprise ten members. I thank the Committee and the Chairperson, Hon. Lochakapong. I agree with them. We will support their proposed amendments during the Committee of the whole House. I support the Bill. I also thank the many Members who have spoken in support of it. Finally, the establishment of authorities and Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) in the government is at the fore of our national conversation today, courtesy of the huge burden that we have bestowed on the Exchequer on account of the management and running of state-owned enterprises. During the Committee of the whole House, we must ensure that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is very lean and has more of a coordinating role, but not one that creates more bureaucracies to get money from the Exchequer. It should be a very lean body that ensures that most of the money that will be appropriated towards disaster management goes to disaster mitigation, management and post- disaster recovery, but not into the bureaucracies of running state-owned enterprises or SAGAs. With those many remarks, I beg to support the Bill."
},
{
"id": 1399924,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399924/?format=api",
"text_counter": 225,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Leader of the Majority Party, this is a very important Bill. You are always very educative. I am happy that the Bill has come from you. However, before you sit, I want to pick your mind for purposes of general debate. I know you will have an opportunity to reply. I do not know whether you have the Bill."
},
{
"id": 1399925,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399925/?format=api",
"text_counter": 226,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Yes."
},
{
"id": 1399926,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399926/?format=api",
"text_counter": 227,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " With your approval, look at Clause 33. The Leader of the Majority Party should answer so that Members are informed as we debate the Bill in terms of the areas we could tighten. Clause 33 states that the Authority has to, first, classify a disaster as either a county disaster or a disaster falling within the remit of the national Government before any action or intervention can take place. Assume that it was a terrorist attack like the one that occurred at the Embassy of the United States of America and this classification is not timed, how will this provision work? That Clause states that until a disaster is classified by the Authority, it shall be deemed to be a county disaster."
},
{
"id": 1399927,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399927/?format=api",
"text_counter": 228,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
"speaker": null,
"content": " It is true that whenever a disaster occurs or threatens to occur – I do not know how it will threaten to occur – the Authority shall determine whether the event is a disaster under this Act, and if so, immediately assess the magnitude and severity, or potential magnitude and severity of the disaster, then classify the disaster as a county disaster or national disaster. In hindsight, these are some of the issues that we will look at possibly amending together with the Committee so that it is clear that the Authority will determine under whose jurisdiction the disaster falls. When a disaster occurs or threatens to occur, for instance, when it is raining and trees are falling off the hilly parts of Murang’a or Elgeyo Marakwet or West Pokot, and there is a threat of a landslide; we cannot wait for the Authority to determine whether that disaster will be localized, or whether the national Government should intervene because it is quite clear that a disaster is likely to occur, or one has already occurred. They should move with speed and determine the magnitude of the disaster. We will clean up this Clause to make it clear so that we are not bogged down by bureaucracies that we create in law, as I said earlier."
},
{
"id": 1399928,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399928/?format=api",
"text_counter": 229,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": " Thank you very much. The Committee should also look at the definition of the word “disaster” because it is too broad. The Bill The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
},
{
"id": 1399929,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399929/?format=api",
"text_counter": 230,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": {
"id": 1565,
"legal_name": "George Peter Opondo Kaluma",
"slug": "george-peter-opondo-kaluma"
},
"content": "describes it as anything that causes death, injury or disease, damages property, infrastructure or the environment, or causes significant disruption of the lives of members a community. We may end up in a situation where everything is a disaster and we wait for the national government to intervene. As we do that, let us also look at the Fourth Schedule in terms of the kinds of disasters that the counties should deal with so that we delineate them. Hon. (Dr) James Nyikal, Member for Seme."
},
{
"id": 1399930,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1399930/?format=api",
"text_counter": 231,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Suba North, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Millie Odhiambo-Mabona",
"speaker": null,
"content": " On a point of order, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}
]
}