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{
"id": 1353640,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1353640/?format=api",
"text_counter": 506,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kitui Central, WDM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Makali Mulu",
"speaker": null,
"content": "amendment, and I want to associate myself with the other Members who have said that Kenyans are being taken round by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in terms of compensation. To some extent, it is because of the low budget allocation. I want to challenge Hon. Members of this House that budgeting is in our hands, as a House. So, even as we lament about people not being compensated because there are no funds, we need to know that the power to allocate resources for the compensation is in our hands. We need to take up that challenge and make sure that when we are doing the budget here, we provide enough resources for compensation of Kenyans who have either been harassed by wildlife or things like sharks and the rest out in the sea. It is important that we have sufficient budget and ensure that there is timely compensation. There are people who have been harassed by those sharks and, at the end of the day, they are taken round and never benefit. Some give up on the process because of the delay and the long process. We need to make sure that, as we amend this Bill, we have some timelines in the Bill so that if you are a victim, you should be compensated within a certain timeframe, and if the resources have been exhausted, you can wait for next year but with clear timelines on when to be compensated. As I conclude, where I come from, which is the southern part of this country, is generally a hot area. Our climatic conditions are hot and warm, which attracts many snakes. You realize even as we are discussing this, at some point, injuries or deaths from snakes were supposed to be compensated. If you get a snake bite and die or you get maimed, you could be compensated. However, around the year 1986 or so, we removed snakes from that list of those to be compensated. I will also be proposing an amendment so that as we amend to include those sharks and whales, and we also include snakes. Where I come from, snakes are killing our young people day-in, day-out. Snakes are such a nuisance that some people get bitten when they are sleeping in their beds. You go and find a snake under your bed and by the time you try to turn around, you get a snake bite. This is very common in our area. This is not something of our own making. It is because of the climatic condition in our area. It is very unfortunate that someone decided to remove snakes from the list of those animals or reptiles where you can be compensated in case you are bitten by one. I will be pushing for that amendment so that we bring snakes into that list as we include the sharks, whales and all the other animals which are dangerous in our seas so that Kenyans can feel encouraged. I like what you, the Hon. Temporary Speaker, have just said. If Kenyans are assured of their security when they go out to the seas that, in case I die when I am trying to do deep sea fishing, my family will be compensated. I can tell you for sure that we will have many more Kenyans going in there. We will be promoting our export of fish to other areas, which will be good for this economy, which seems to be really struggling to stand. This is an area we need to invest in, and I do support. Once more, I thank Captain for this good amendment. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}