{"count":1608389,"next":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=139209","previous":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/?format=json&page=139207","results":[{"id":1408491,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408491/?format=json","text_counter":564,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Teso South, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Mary Emaase","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute. At the outset, I join my colleagues in sending condolences to the families which have lost their loved ones through the disaster that we have witnessed in this country. It is a big concern. I cannot say that the situation we are in was unforeseen. We knew the rains were coming. As a country, how are we prepared to manage disasters? The level of preparedness is wanting. I have been in Nairobi City County long enough. Prior to the start of the rains, I used to witness serious works along our roads; clearing and cleaning of the trenches and water drainage systems. By the time the rains start, the water has its way and flows away. We have never witnessed the kind of floods that we have today. Whereas some incidences are unavoidable, there are certain deaths that could have been avoided or prevented. Today, even the kind of works done on the roads are very shoddy. The waste is removed from the water drainage system and trenches, and dumped right on top of the surface next to the drainage. So, when the rain comes what happens? The waste is pushed back into the trenches and the systems are blocked. The national Government and county government agencies concerned need to get serious. The lives lost in riparian areas should not have been lost. In the first place, why do they allow citizens to build houses in those areas, and yet we have laws that guide that?"},{"id":1408492,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408492/?format=json","text_counter":565,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Teso South, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Mary Emaase","speaker":null,"content":"As a country, we need to be serious. We should not wait until a disaster happens then we start running up and down. We know that whenever it rains, we will have challenges in Budalang’i, Busia County because River Nzoia will flood. It has happened before so we are not reinventing the wheel. Why should we not address this issue once and for all? Why do we not dig trenches to accommodate the huge volumes of water whenever there is a lot of rain so that we can prevent some of these disasters?"},{"id":1408493,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408493/?format=json","text_counter":566,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Teso South, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Mary Emaase","speaker":null,"content":"It is high time we put in place preventive measures as opposed to the opposite; what we are witnessing happening across the country. Every area of the country is flooded and classrooms are collapsing. I got a call that two classrooms in Omoloi Primary School have collapsed and I am wondering where the children will learn from."},{"id":1408494,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408494/?format=json","text_counter":567,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Teso South, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Mary Emaase","speaker":null,"content":"There is a place called Goria in my constituency which is an island at this time. People cannot cross to the other side because of floods near the border. There are floods everywhere although not of the same magnitude. We have to get serious, put preventive mechanisms in place and resources to address this issue. We cannot lose Kenyans during drought because there is no food and continue to lose them when it rains. This year is the worst."},{"id":1408495,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408495/?format=json","text_counter":568,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Teso South, UDA","speaker_title":"Hon. Mary Emaase","speaker":null,"content":"Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Once again, my condolences to the families that have lost their loved ones."},{"id":1408496,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408496/?format=json","text_counter":569,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"The Temporary Speaker","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"(Hon. Martha Wangari) Thank you. Next is Hon. Oundo."},{"id":1408497,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408497/?format=json","text_counter":570,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":" Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker. From the outset, let me send my sincere condolences, on my behalf and the people of Funyula 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":1408498,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408498/?format=json","text_counter":571,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":"Constituency to those who have been affected by floods; lost their loved ones, properties, businesses and everything they had."},{"id":1408499,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408499/?format=json","text_counter":572,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":"This is a natural disaster and a manifestation of climate change. In many parts of this country, we always thought that climate change was a foreign idea, a matter that has nothing to do with us. It is now very devastating and has severe consequences. Where I come from, we always say wherever the river used to pass or there was some kind of a water path, it will never change. You will find especially, here in Nairobi the most devastation is where people have built on river courses blocking the flow of water."},{"id":1408500,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1408500/?format=json","text_counter":573,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Funyula, ODM","speaker_title":"Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo","speaker":null,"content":"As I stand here today, with the help of science and technology, there is a possibility we can predict the magnitude of a disaster. With proper technology and attention, we could have easily managed to identify the land and mudslides that devastated Mai Mahiu and Murang’a. For example, in Budalang’i, my neighbouring constituency they have a traditional way of detecting the possibility of floods. That is why they have community radio stations to communicate that a disaster is about to happen or the water flow will be much higher so that they can take mitigation measures. I want to urge both the national Government and county governments to invest in disaster detection so that we can put in place mitigation measures to minimise the damage."}]}