Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1443797,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1443797/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 183,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Soipan Tuiya",
    "speaker_title": "The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Sen. Mbugua asked a question about the Forest Conservation and Management Act. Within the law, we have participatory forest management processes. Without the support and partnership of communities, we cannot succeed with our tree planting or forest management. The intended purpose for participatory forest management procedures is to have the forest adjacent communities at the core of forest management. On the issue of grazing, under the Forest Conservation and Management Act, we have formation of Community Forest Associations (CFAs), which are legal entities. Under the CFAs, there are laid out frameworks for collaboration between forest associations and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers to actualise participatory forest management action plans, in the sense that we have certain user rights within the forest. Grazing is one of them. However, they are practiced within certain parameters and regulations. For example, we cannot have freelance grazing in our forests because what then happens to the restoration efforts that we are engaging in? If we plant trees, then cows and goats eat the seedlings, we will be doing a zero-sum game. The effect of participatory forest management plans is to make sure we have zoning of our protected areas. We have designated spaces where grazing can happen and areas where it cannot. That requires regulation, co-operation and close collaboration between the communities and the KFS through forest management agreements. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on the statement that the Senator mentioned that we made as a Ministry, I am coming back to tell the country that we have user rights within our forests, but they are merged with responsibilities of conservation. My statement was very clear. I did a written statement, which was circulated across the country. Basically what I am saying is that we have a law and a way of engaging the KFS and the communities. All we need is to enforce that in a collaborative fashion. I am not afraid to say that the problem is that there has not been any enforcement. It has been free for all. When we call for enforcement, there is a bit of discomfort. Rest assured, hon. Senators and the entire House, that we are not phasing out user rights. We are just saying that they have to be measured against the responsibilities for conservation and the law is clear about that. I promise that we are going to carry out public participation across the country, so that we do not have misconstruction of what the Ministry is doing around this. Communities are our key partners. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, coming to the question by the Senator of Embu on the issue of carbon credits, I have spelt it out. I would like the Senator to look at the law as it is right now. The community benefits sharing framework within our new carbon markets law is very clear in terms of what the communities should get against various classification of projects. Some of them are land-based, non-land based, community land and private land. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I take cognizance of the issue raised by the Senator to the effect that young people are planting trees. Some of them have developed nurseries across the country because of our 15 billion tree strategy. We had a good plan to set up a Green Army across the country, which was going to focus on these young people. We intended to source seedlings for the tree planting initiative and use them in protection and maintenance of the same. However, because of the fiscal situation we are in, we are yet to implement that. 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 and AudioServices, Senate."
}