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{
    "id": 1492071,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1492071/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 205,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cherarkey",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13217,
        "legal_name": "Cherarkey K Samson",
        "slug": "cherarkey-k-samson"
    },
    "content": "and the end result. I therefore request KFS that during the harvesting of trees, especially in forests, they should only harvest mature trees and avoid harvesting indigenous trees like the Mugumo Tree. The Mugumo Tree is very important in the Kikuyu Culture. There are trees like Simatwet in Nandi, which is a sacred tree. I also heard Moringa is important. There are trees that have both cultural and medicinal value. For us, Simatwet is very important in our culture. Even as we allow logging and the lifting of the moratorium of access to logging in public forests, we should be keen so that we do not loose such indigenous trees. I agree we must have stringent laws. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am happy with the proposal that Sen. Haji has introduced that in case you violate that section on logging, it is an offence and you should be fined Kshs5 million or three years imprisonment. I propose that it should be five years, so that people do not access our forests, do logging and export our trees. On Clause 6 on the adopt-a-tree programme, when you plant a tree, make sure you assign someone to take care of it. I will add two things here. We need to encourage schools to plant trees and adopt them. Let us teach our children from Pre-Primary (PP1) to plant trees and adopt them. We also need to use our prisons. Prisons have a lot of land from Shikusa, Ngeria, Kingóngó, all the way to Kilifi Prisons. Let us use the land that belongs to prisons for agro- forestry and allow prisoners to maintain and adopt those trees and for the people who are there. When you commit an offence like for traffic offence, you should be given a Community Service Order (CSO) to go and take care of trees through CSOs so that we can bring discipline. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I thank Sen. Haji on this aspect that we need to give further incentives he has included in there like tax exemptions and tax incentives that can be given to companies. On Clause 8, there is the issue of carbon credits. I agree that this issue is important but Kenyans do not understand what that is. It is called hewa kaa. I know that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) leads on the issuance of carbon credits followed by Kenya. This means that we are doing well. I would like to encourage our farmers to do farming that is more environmentally friendly like natural farming by using compost manure, tillage and planting crops that protect the environment. I am happy that Kilifi and the coastal farmers are the earning more carbon credits than the rest of the country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is unfortunate that we lost the Finance Bill, 2024 because we were introducing the eco-tax which would have protected us from the dumping of electronic devices. Many Kenyans do not ask themselves what happens to their phones, radios or any electronic devices when it dies. How do we manage that dumping? It was unfortunate that in the Finance Bill, 2024, they were trying to introduce this tax. This is an important amendment Bill that should be supported by all Senators. All of us should be climate friendly even when driving our cars. The banning of polythene was very welcome but we have seen them coming back. We ask the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to be on the lookout. 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."
}