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{
    "id": 1451375,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1451375/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 222,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wamatinga",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13582,
        "legal_name": "Wahome Wamatinga",
        "slug": "wahome-wamatinga"
    },
    "content": "It is also important to ensure that the local communities who are the owners of the lands, do not only get the compensation they require, but they get commensurate compensation that will ensure that their livelihood moving on to the future, is assured. This cannot happen unless we put an elaborate mechanism in place that is easy to interpret, adopt and implement. Further on, we also noted that most of the local communities in oil exploration countries live in abject poverty. This is attributable to two factors. One, they are deprived of their means of livelihood and we know most African communities live on subsistence farming. Once oil or gas exploration starts taking place, we know that the land is rendered unproductive and the level of pollution is very high. The suffering of the local community is twofold. One is because of the environmental pollution, which ends up degrading the value of the land. Two, because of environmental pollution, we know that they suffer from health hazards that lead to many diseases mostly respiratory-related diseases. This can be addressed as is envisaged in the Bill if we have adequate compensation that will ensure that where such mining, exploration and extraction takes place, there are adequate measures put in place. These measures will ensure that the local community will get an adequate supply of medical facilities so that when they suffer from such diseases, they can be treated. This Bill is expected to facilitate the development of local economies through the creation of employment opportunities and by ensuring the procurement of goods and services that are locally produced do get market within these multinational companies that do the exploration and exploitation of the local resources. It is also envisaged that through this Bill, the regulation and formation of this committee, the participation of the local communities will be enhanced and informed, especially through curricular development so that they can be empowered. This Bill provides a framework through which the benefits relating to the exploration of natural resources will cascade to the local communities in which the resources are found. As a result, it is expected that the county governments' economies will directly be impacted by the exploration of these resources as opposed to what is happening now. When the exploration takes place, the local communities are left with a dilapidated or degraded environment, which they cannot reclaim because they lack the technology and capital to do so. Therefore, some of the exploration hazards are detrimental to the health of the local community. The county government would be expected to be at the forefront in ensuring that the local content is realized under this Act. Therefore, the Bill concerns county government in terms of Article 110 (1) (a) of the Constitution. This is also not a money Bill within the meaning of Article 114 of the Constitution. Therefore, I would urge my fellow Senators to support it. I also urge them to suggest amendments that they may deem to be necessary so that we make it a comprehensive Bill. We also need to ensure that the interests of the local communities have been taken care of and they are well informed about their rights and obligations. We know most of the time when the multinationals come into the country; the local communities are left to be beggars. It is quite unfortunate if you go today to 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."
}