Water Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome on Wednesday, July 5, found herself in a tight spot after Members of the National Assembly claimed that she offered unsatisfactory answers regarding water distribution in Lamu County.
The CS was tasked to explain why the region was lagging behind in water development by Lamu East Member of Parliament Ruweida Obbo.
In response, Wahome claimed that her Ministry will be carrying water from Mzima Springs to Lamu East in order to irrigate farms in the area.
Sensing a lack of factual credence, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula questioned the practicality of her answer arguing that Mzinga Springs and Lamu East were far apart.
"CS Alice, are you sure you will be able to supply water to the entire Lamu County from Mzima Springs?" Wetang'ula posed.
The speaker then asked CS Wahome to be practical with her ideas or seek help from her officers on the ground with the implementation of irrigation projects at the Coast.
"Your idea does not inspire confidence among the residents of Lamu and their Members of Parliament. You may need to review those details and give the Honourable Member an appropriate answer," Wetang'ula advised.
In her presentation, Obbo insisted that the irrigation projects mentioned by the CS did not exist in Lamu East while many people relied on rain-fed agriculture.
The MP also offered to give the Cabinet Secretary a tour of her region to understand the plight of her people.
"First of all, it's important to note that the entire Lamu East does not have a single irrigation scheme. She could probably consider taking water from Tana River to Lamu County," she added.
Mzima Springs are found within Tsavo National Park, over 100 kilometers from Lamu East Constituency in Lamu County.
Wahome acknowledged that she needs to do more to improve the living standards of Kenyans, especially, those in the agricultural sectors.
The Cabinet Secretary noted that Kenya has an estimated irrigation potential of 1.3 million hectares, but only about 3 per cent of this is currently irrigated.
"Irrigation can help to increase crop yields, improve food security, and generate income for farmers. It can also help to reduce the risk of crop failure due to drought," CS Wahome stated.
