GET /api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1446609/?format=api
HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1446609,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1446609/?format=api",
"text_counter": 228,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Thangw’a",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": null,
"content": "If there is no knowledge, people will never understand what they are dealing with. If such a tractor would have overturned in a certain area where they do mining, I know nobody would have touched it or even come close to that trailer. Knowledge transfer is not just about knowledge on what oil does, what a certain mineral does when it is brought to the ground, but it means that we should understand the processes. It means you get to understand what is required if you want mine gold or gypsum. Otherwise, it will remain an issue that is only benefitting a few who got the information and they are using it to their own advantage. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Bill also provides that the county governments must be involved. This is the reason I am supporting this Bill. Remember the resources belong to the counties. When we are considering the division of revenue here and when we are giving grants to the counties, we have some monies that we give the counties from the resources that probably have emanated from their counties. I know Kiambu does not benefit much from these kinds of resources, but probably they are down there. I know we have carbon for the carbonated drinks if you go to Lari. Maybe if we explore further, we might be having more minerals than what we have. That is why I am saying it is good for us to discuss this Bill with an open mind. If we continue having that excessive restriction, we might not have special skills being transferred to us. The experts might run away and leave us doing what we have been doing all through. As I conclude, public participation is paramount. We need to come up with better mechanisms and, of course, transparency. We have to come with performance metrics and monitoring mechanisms. This is so that people can give feedback or communicate when they see someone excavating the ground looking for minerals, yet they do not know who that person is, when they got registered or who bought that land. Madam Temporary Speaker, some people who are well advanced invite those who know how to look for minerals to the counties. As we speak, such people could be in the counties that are not well developed, exploring. Once they explore, they say here, you will have this kind of mineral and then they buy that land before they announce there will be minerals. We need to check all the land that is owned by the United Kingdom (UK) in this country. Perhaps, there is something down there and that is why they chose those parts and left bare land for us during those colonial times. This is something that we need to look into. I believe once this Bill is passed and assented to, we will make sure that people understand what is below their feet; the earth and their houses. Madam Temporary Speaker, in that regard, I support. I will be bringing some amendments."
}