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{
    "id": 1283028,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1283028/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 45,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "If we are not serious as inhabitants of the earth to combat the challenges that are faced in our climate and coming up with policies and measures, put our brains together, and think and have a concerted effort of combating climate change, in the next few years, this world may not be habitable. I guess subsequently, that is why the conversations have moved and become better. If you are a keen follower of this climate conversation, you would see a difference even in attitude, even in the attendance and in the seriousness that is given to the global climate conversation in the subsequent CoP summits from Glasgo up to the last on that was held here in Africa in Shamel sheikh, Egypt. Participants are now beginning to live closer to reality and realize that talking and getting back to your jets and flying back home is not enough. Until there is deliberate effort at the local level is when we can say that, indeed, there is something that we are doing about climate change and mitigating the effects and ensuring that we have a more predictable and more stable future as a people. It is on this backdrop that we have come up with this Bill. I know colleague Senators have taken time to read through and understand because this conversation is something that we live through daily in our lives. You know that immediately this Administration came into office with a realization of the effects of climate change. When we just finished the elections and this Senate was just being sworn in, this country was facing the worst drought in the last 40 years. Hon. Senators, you know very well that the people we represent in this House were faced with very serious effects of hunger. For those that come from the arid areas, people were losing their animals; for those that come from the arable parts of the country, it was all dusty across the nation. If you overflew the country, you would have noticed how yellow and dusty the country had become due to lack of rain. Those are just part of the effects Mr. Speaker, Sir, this conversation began and people began taking it seriously. In fact, we said that we need to invest and set aside resources, I think close to the Kshs400 billion that is needed, to not only just plant, but also grow trees. The difference has been defined that planting a tree is a ceremonial act that we do every time we are guests of honour in functions. I see many of you on weekends, for example, Sen. Maanzo in Makueni Primary School invited. You just drop a tree, get a spade and quickly wash your hands perhaps even sometimes forget to water it and move. That is what we were accustomed to. However, as I have said, we are slowly evolving and realizing the importance of this conversation. That is why you have found that we are being natured to appreciate and know that it is not just about planting a tree, but growing it; going back to check on it and ensuring that the tree that you planted is doing well. Last week or the week before, when we had the Devolution Summit, they did something quite significant. I appreciate it because each tree that was planted had a name. I remember the complaints of Sen. Okiya Omtatah, who said that when he got there early in the morning, he could not identify the tree that was set aside for him. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard Services,Senate."
}