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{
"id": 1625692,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625692/?format=api",
"text_counter": 37,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wafula",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity. I welcome our good Cabinet Secretary to the Senate. I will go straight to the Question that has been presented here, on behalf of the Senator for Kitui, Sen. Wambua. (a) Could the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the status of the solarization plan for the Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme Project as well as the reasons for any delays or challenges encountered during its implementation? (b) What is the current status of the fencing plan for the initial 500 acres of land under the Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme and could the Cabinet Secretary explain the reasons behind any delays in completing the fencing? (c) Could the Cabinet Secretary elaborate on the overall progress of the Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme and outline the specific measures being taken to ensure the project becomes fully operational without any further delay? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
},
{
"id": 1625693,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625693/?format=api",
"text_counter": 38,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may proceed to respond. However, your written response has been circulated to all hon. Senators and, therefore, you need not read verbatim. To save on time, you may just highlight the response that you have already filed. You may proceed. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1625694,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625694/?format=api",
"text_counter": 39,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Eng.) Muriithi Mugaa): Mr. Speaker, Sir and Hon. Members, good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to address the House. The responses for the question on Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme are on page five of the circulation. A brief background is that the Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme is in Tseikuru, Mwingi North Constituency, Kitui County. It was a project that was done in the year 2013 to 2017. The scheme was meant to cover approximately 1,000 acres. The first 500 acres were completed with mango farming. The remaining 500 had suffered issues with power, but this was resolved through installation of transformers. The main challenge here was the power bill, Operations and Maintenance (O&M). The bills were high because this was a pumping scheme. The National Irrigation Authority (NIA) working hand-in-hand with the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) have developed a concept note to solarize the irrigation scheme. This partnership has done preliminary designs that will cost approximately Kshs400 million to implement. The concept note has been submitted to the National Treasury for funding consideration. Mr. Speaker, Sir, on part (b) of the Question, where the hon. Member asked about the status of the initial 500 acres of land, we can confirm that the Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme borders the Kora Game Reserve and this exposes it to human-wildlife conflict that is expected in such kind of scenarios. To address this, the initial part of the contract allowed fencing of the first 500 acres, which was done. However, some sections of the fence have been vandalised. The remedy for that is that fencing is part of the concept note that has been submitted to National Treasury. Part (c) of the Question was to elaborate on the overall progress of the scheme and outline the measures being taken to ensure the project becomes fully operational. The plans to solarize the scheme as a long-term strategy that is aimed at lowering operation and maintenance expenses is on the way once funding is secured. For long-term sustainability of the project, capacity-building efforts are ongoing to empower Irrigation Water Users Associations (IWUA) to effectively manage and maintain the scheme. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the IWUAs have been sensitised, supported and have submitted an application for registration with the Registrar of Societies. In terms of the future, I note that the scheme has the potential to irrigate approximately 10,000 acres through a gravity-fed system. However, this hinges heavily on the proposed upstream dam, called Highgram Falls Dam and that is the long-term strategy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I submit. Thank you."
},
{
"id": 1625695,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625695/?format=api",
"text_counter": 40,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Wakoli, do you have any supplementary questions? If yes, you may proceed to ask. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
},
{
"id": 1625696,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625696/?format=api",
"text_counter": 41,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Wafula",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The questions have been answered adequately and the budget estimates for the solarization process is quite enormous. However, I would like our good Cabinet Secretary to tell us; in the budget estimates that I went through the other day, I do not know if the monies that you have under your Ministry will allow you to proceed with a budget of Kshs400 million because I foresee a scenario where you will spend your office running resources to solarize this dam. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
},
{
"id": 1625697,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625697/?format=api",
"text_counter": 42,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. Cabinet Secretary, you may respond."
},
{
"id": 1625698,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625698/?format=api",
"text_counter": 43,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "The Cabinet Secretary for Water, Sanitation and Irrigation",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "(Hon. (Eng.) Muriithi Mugaa): Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, and hon. Wakoli for the question. As I have indicated in my responses, this programme was done between 2013 and 2017. The vandalism that has caused some sections of the fence to be damaged and the high electricity bills because of pumping system has necessitated the Ministry, through the agency responsible, to develop a concept note which is at the National Treasury. I owe it to the hon. Senator to tell him that the concept note is at the National Treasury for consideration. In case we get resources and I am hoping we get resources because this is a very key project, we can start actualising the programme. Thank you."
},
{
"id": 1625699,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625699/?format=api",
"text_counter": 44,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Seki, proceed."
},
{
"id": 1625700,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625700/?format=api",
"text_counter": 45,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Seki",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Kenya Kwanza administration had a plan to construct 1,000 dams across the country. Could the Cabinet Secretary tell us at least how many dams have been constructed to completion already and those that are stalled so far?"
},
{
"id": 1625701,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1625701/?format=api",
"text_counter": 46,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Kingi",
"speaker_title": "The Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Sen. Gataya Mwenda, proceed."
}
]
}