Dr. John Kanyuithia Mutunga

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 221 to 230 of 487.

• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: Hon. Speaker, if we go by ranking and years in the House, some of us… We do not know what Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) might come up with. It might propose that we serve for two terms each and that is it. That means that some of us might remain muted forever. We need a view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: so that we are clear on matters debate. Sometimes, we may realise an issue has been mishandled, but you can never have a chance to contribute because the leadership and ranking has not been completed. view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: Thank you, Hon. Speaker. view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to add my voice to the debate. I thank the Mover of this Motion because the locust invasion is a serious problem in this country. view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: We have a desert locust control centre in Isiolo, which is established and funded by the Government every year to monitor the movement of desert locusts and nothing else. So, they should have known that the locusts were just about to cross the border. Locust invasion occurs as a result of increased rainfall and the length of the rainy season. We were, therefore, not caught unawares. We were only negligent. view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: I would like to put a few facts to rest. First of all, mature locusts are yellow, but they are not yet in copulation stage. Copulation means they are not ready to lay eggs. They feed gregariously. A gregarious feeder is one which can feed as much as the body weight in a day. So, if you see a locust that can feed its body weight in a day, it means if you have swarms of kilometres - because we have square kilometres of 15 kilometres by 30 kilometres - that is what we are experiencing. When locusts get bright ... view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: Secondly, a mature locust can feed for between 35 and 50 days. On average, they can feed for 40 to 45 days which means they are very destructive at this stage. I am trying to say that we have a serious problem. Luckily, I was incorporated in the group that is controlling locusts and I have been monitoring this. So, I will tell you the depth of the truth. Locust invasion has not had the commensurate control or support that is expected. The private sector moved in because their farms were threatened. Therefore, it was a private sector affair initially ... view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: We can delay solving this problem and be in a more serious situation than we are right now. I would like to join my colleagues who are calling for a declaration of a national disaster because locust invasion at this point in time should be looked at as a national disaster. We need to mobilise resources from the strategic resources that have been kept for emergency response. To declare it a national disaster, we need to assess the levels of destructiveness which they have done over time. We need to know the intensity and the effect thereafter since we are ... view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: When locusts get into cropland, they decimate it. So, there are key issues that we need to look at in this particular respect and advise the Government. Whoever advises the Government on the national disaster declaration process should do so immediately. They should advise the Government to declare the locust invasion a national disaster, put effort into quantification of what the losses are and start the process of helping people. We need to move with speed. Otherwise, we will not be able to support our people when the locusts ravage everything. When locusts get into areas that have trees and ... view
• 18 Feb 2020 in National Assembly: Let the locust invasion be declared a national disaster. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker. view