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{
    "id": 1218414,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1218414/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Lomenen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2940,
        "legal_name": "James Lomenen Ekomwa",
        "slug": "james-lomenen-ekomwa"
    },
    "content": "There is what we call local contents, which are opportunities that the locals derive from an organization such as contracts, job opportunities and administration. Whatever accrues from that resource such as gold, the local community should be the first to be given priority to benefit so that we can avoid Britain, France and the other countries where the multinational companies come from benefitting fully. The local community has been protesting. The definition of fossils is a piece of wood or bone that has changed to stone. The bones found in those counties are for our grandparents, ancestors and the plantations there, which have changed into that oil. The local community is supposed to take advantage of that. It beats logic to find multinational companies such as Tullow Oil drilling oil, transports it to Lamu port and sells it to unknown companies; I know of ChemChina UK Ltd, which costed the Government Kshs1.2 billion. In the Energy Act, it was agreed that the county governments would get about 20 per cent of the total revenue. The local community, which has access to the oil wealth, gets five per cent while the national Government would get 75 percent. We agreed as a House together with the National Assembly to sign to pass that into law and it was assented to by the President. What perplexed me is that oil was transported to Lamu and sold. It has been four years since and the community is still waiting for its share. The community has sanctioned the Government and any multinational organization that intends to drill. They have stated that before you drill, you must do something for the community first. There is a saying in our community that you cannot take a beautiful girl without bringing a kilogram of sugar, tobacco and a he-goat. The community is wondering whether it makes sense to drill another well of oil yet they have not given at least five per cent to the community. That is not possible. God himself will not allow that. Mr. Speaker, Sir, with all due respect, you cannot allow that. Give caesar what belongs to caesar and God what belongs to God. Give the local community what they deserve and the national Government what is deserves too because they involve these other counties. The county that has available resources considers other counties. Give what belongs to the local community because that is the only golden opportunity. If people have produced coffee, sugar and tea; you know the condition and the law that has been made there and people will not take those revenues for granted. Our people have to be provided with food every time there is drought. We cry ever time in this House saying our people are hungry and thirsty yet there are organizations that make a lot of money out of the resources we have in those counties yet the locals do not benefit. Mr. Speaker, Sir, am I wrong to say that that is like robbing the dead? Our people are needy. The multinational companies come, take their gold, minerals, water and gypsum, and leave them with nothing not even five liters of water. It pains me to represent such people. This law is very important. We should be clear on the advantage or revenues for the community. If the local community is to receive 10 per cent, let us give it to them. If the county government is meant to receive 20 per cent, let them receive their share as well. My county has six constituencies and when we get 20 per cent that"
}