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"id": 1475546,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1475546/?format=api",
"text_counter": 327,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dagoretti South, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. John Kiarie",
"speaker": null,
"content": "most unlikely place finds itself in problems when it has to expand. Nairobi City found itself in a swamp that developed at the time of La Nina. When El Nino came very early on, as the city was being established, the people who established Nairobi City realised that they were in problems. The problems that were observed right at the onset when Nairobi City was being instituted exists up to date. We have a city that sits on an un-drainable swamp. A City that if El Nino happens, we all know what happens. We are not even able to drain this City. More importantly, the question still begs: If you wanted to expand Nairobi in a way that provides for underground public transport, for example, would the water table allow for that? This is the point that is informing Clause 18 when we talk about having a buffer zone around the technopolis, which will not only allow for proper expansion, but will also prevent unwanted urban sprawl when other areas around the technopolis are developing. Clause 19 of this Bill allows the authority to develop a high-technology ecosystem to create synergies for co-creation, collaboration and innovation within a technopolis, and achieve the objectives of a technopolis. The Departmental Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation has, on its motion, visited Konza Technopolis. I can report to this House that beyond the horizontal infrastructure that is now almost complete, vertical infrastructure is happening in the City. The development is at a very advanced stage. But even more importantly, the technology that is being used at Konza Technopolis to manage traffic, to bring in water, to manage that water in the offices and the homes within Konza, and to put out grey and dirty water out of homes is all smart systems. So, Clause 19 allows the authority to develop high-technology ecosystems that are not only physical, but also driven by the people who shall be residents in this City so that they are able to co-create, collaborate and innovate within that technopolis. Clause 20 of the Bill provides for a one-stop shop for facilities that ease the doing of business in a technopolis by ensuring the administration of Government services and regulatory essentials under one roof. Clause 21 of this Bill allows the authority to establish a technopolis small enterprise support centre, which shall support the incubation and growth of small enterprises, utilising high-tech and emerging technologies that are drawn from the innovation ecosystem. It might be worth noting that this is not Kenya dreaming or Kenya building castles in the air. Those things do exist elsewhere. If you take the example of Silicon Valley in the US, you can see what it is that Kenya is envisioning to do. As earlier reported, what we are talking about is already in the offing at Konza. I advise any Member of this House to visit Konza and see what is happening in that very beautiful technological corner of this country. Part IV of the Bill, that is, Clauses 22 to 27, contains provisions for development control in a technopolis, and the application, approval and revocation of a development permit. It is in this part that the Bill gives the authority power to approve development plans that are submitted by investors in compliance with the master plan to ensure a technopolis is planned, zoned and developed as per the globally accepted standards. This part also seeks to provide for a review and appeal mechanism for grievances resulting from the decisions made by the authority in regard to development permits. Clause 27 of this Bill creates an offence for non-compliance. It specifies sanctions and legal consequences that are imposed on a person for non-compliance with development permit requirements in a technopolis. This becomes very important. I am glad that I see engineers in the House this evening. Engineers will tell you that if you do not provide for the management of the growth of cities, you might end up running into the problems that we are having in a City like Nairobi, where you are not sure what plans can be approved and what plans cannot be approved. So, you shall find an early childhood development school next to a maternity wing, a cemetery, a hospital and so on. So, Part IV of this Bill provides for orderly management in the development of a technopolis. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}