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{
    "id": 1181017,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1181017/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 57,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a very important matter. I have listened carefully to Sen. Kibwana prosecute the point and raise the awareness of this House to a very topical issue that we have observed play out in the media in the last few days. There are two things that I want to say. First, we as Africans have what I call the Esau syndrome - cheaply selling way our heritage. It is not just with regard to environmental issues. The same can be said of virtually every other God gifted heritage that is unique to Africa alone and Kenya is not spared of this unfortunate phenomenon. It is unfortunate how we got here as a Country. Either county Governments, an environmental officer or I do not know who granted this permission to take such a callous look and impoverish our natural resources by sharing it with other people and ensuring that they go and do better with it than what we have already done. Sen. Kibwana has pointed out the benefit of having these trees to the environment and nature for the aesthetic value that it serves to the residents of Kilifi County and across the country. There is good reason why those who are interested in buying these trees are seeking them. Should we not in this day and time be first pausing and reflecting why somebody can travel thousands of miles, all the way from Europe to a little town in Kilifi County and want to import these particular trees. The answer will be plain that perhaps, the have identified something that is of greater value that even the cost incurred to ship these trees out of Kilifi County. Therefore, I propose and continue to challenge my fellow Senators - let s prosecute all these Statements that touching on most of these topical issues we are bringing before the House to their logical conclusion. Heads must roll and precedence must be set. This is so that not only now but also in the future, any officer who is a position of authority and able to give authority to people that are seeking thing of natural heritage to the country, do not just make the kind of careless decisions that has been made. I have seen the Statement from the Minister of Environment and Forests, the former Senator Soipan Tuya, on this matter, but that alone is not enough. It is good for us to know, where is it that there is laxity in our laws that allow, just by stroke of a pen, a single county government official to allow people to ship very special trees out of this country. It is us as legislators to find that particular gap and zeal it. We must protect our natural heritage, all of them; starting with our environment and any other thing by law such that it becomes completely impossible."
}