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{
    "id": 1459178,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1459178/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 152,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Oketch Gicheru",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to make a quick comment on a very important issue that Sen. Onyonka has raised in this House through this statement on the possibility of auditing all our minerals and being able to account for all those minerals, plus those companies that are involved in them. This is a very serious statement that, as a country, we must start thinking critically about the minerals that we have and how we explore them. Since, in the current world order you cannot think of any better opportunity that you can have as a country than investing in rare minerals that you have in the country. For instance, in the current world order, you cannot think about areas of investment without thinking about the raw materials that go into renewable energy. Due to the competition in the world in the area of technology, any smart technology for any smart electronic devices, you cannot have them without thinking about raw materials that are coming out of this country. There is something called rare earth elements. Their demand in the world by the pace of growth, by 2027, will have a 14 per cent demand. If you look at China, it has got about 85 per cent control over rare earth oxide. In this country, our potential for rare earth elements is over US$100 billion. When you look at our current foreign policy, there is no articulation of exploration of rare earth minerals in Kenya when we are engaging with the world's superpower in terms of technological advancement like the United States of America (USA). You would have expected that if we go to the USA, we have accounts of these rare earth elements and the minerals that ensue from them. For example, in Kwale County where we have amazing rare earth elements that have been estimated by experts that could even fetch this country US$35 billion. The debt that we struggling with in the country today is barely Kshs100 billion. If we invest in rare earth elements in this country, it can give us up to Kshs100 billion. It will be very important that in this new broad-based Government we have, we start thinking The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only.A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and Audio Services,Senate."
}