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{
    "id": 1283069,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1283069/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 86,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Maanzo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13589,
        "legal_name": "Maanzo Daniel Kitonga",
        "slug": "maanzo-daniel-kitonga"
    },
    "content": "basic. We have cut trees for development and timber and yet we do not have forests in every part of the country. We have natural forests in the coastal region because of the rains caused by ocean currents and other forests in the highlands. In the middle, we have a lot of dryland. It is important that universities come up with research in order for us to know what trees can survive in the drylands so that we have a lot of trees there and reduce the speed of wind. Then we will end up having more rainfall as it used to be. Mr. Speaker, Sir, what else can be done other than trees? There is the planting of grass, which also covers the surface and slows the movement of water and erosion. When you look at all these things, there must be a policy which works. The main policy now is to plant 15 billion trees, but there are challenges in that. It does not tie with budgetary allocations and how we are going to get seedlings to cover the highlands, lowlands and the different vegetation variations. We do not have that policy in place and we should have such. In the county budgets there should be something to do with environment and climate change and every county has a policy on how it can increase its forest cover. Mr. Speaker, Sir, how are we going to do on our national policy? We know that there are plantations that are run in this country though they are few and when trees get to maturity, they are harvested so that we increase the local industry. Unfortunately, we are still getting a lot of our timber from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania yet Tanzania does not have a better forest cover than us. It is a challenge because rather than talk, we should also swing into action and get the population educated as much as possible. That is why this debate today is very important. Kenyans are following it, are getting educated, enlightened and we need to get back to schools. Seedlings can probably be supplied for appropriate climates through schools so that children can pick seedlings from school and go to plant at home. That can be done continuously so that we involve the children and they get to like the environment. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we again need to come up with a policy. I am aware that we are doing Thwake Dam in Makueni. There is also a grand high falls dam coming up between Tharaka and Kitui so that we supply water in the northern parts of Kenya. Without water- --"
}