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"id": 1496008,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1496008/?format=api",
"text_counter": 393,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Bondo, ODM",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Gideon Ochanda",
"speaker": null,
"content": "one time to another. They were saying that one variety was the cause of many problems and it was wasting land. The next one was consuming a lot of water. They are now saying that there is a better species which matures quickly from South Africa. Everybody was encouraged to grow it for purposes of what was being said in terms of the economic returns. If you look at all this, there are quite a bit of contradictions that go with it but, definitely, some background check needs to be done on some of those species. A much more important thing is the whole issue of water catchment areas – what we call riparian areas or water towers. Definitely, what we call water towers or catchment areas are the ones that have rain. They are the ones that have water. So, if, again, you want to grow some of those trees where there is much water, then it means that it is in the water towers that you will be growing those kinds of trees. This is because when we talk about riparian areas, which are a very big problem in this country, we do not know the extent from a river surface or lake surface or some kind of natural water body. If you even look at the swampy areas, one does not know exactly how much of it is riparian. The Constitution says for example, with regards to water levels, that it is what you measure at the highest point. So, if there is a way that counties could get people to realise that if you are talking about a river and you are talking about the catchment or the extent at which the riparian goes, I think there needs to be marks. So that, beyond the marks, you do not do certain things and certain activities are permissible within the marks. Until we do that, it is going to be a very big problem. For example, if you are saying that you cannot grow blue gum in some parts of the country, it is going to be a major war against the public like it has been mentioned. Thats is because people have been encouraged over a period of time to grow those trees. They are a source of income. It is true they are a source of income. Everybody has grown the trees and there is market for them. So, if you want to do away with it, you must create a very serious alternative source of income for some of those places. Like I have mentioned, in Nyamira and Kisi, each piece of land has a banana and a Eucalyptus tree. Of course, they are doing that because of the kind of returns that come with it. So, let us take time and check what riparian areas are, where they are, whether they are marked and their geography is known so that people can get it. We need to know the exact source of some of those tree species, whether they are seeds or whatever. We are slowly getting dependent on all manner of seeds from external sources. Seeds are basically coming from outside. We no longer have our own seeds, including the food crops that we are growing. Some kind of a research needs to be properly conducted around this area so that we do not get into situations that we are finding ourselves in. There are some contradictions. If you say that the plant takes 40 litres of water per day, what happens to that plant when there is no rain? If that was the case, then all of them would be dead in a moment when there is a dry spell. In my view, some of those things need to be checked whether they are right or wrong, even if we are using them for purposes of convincing ourselves. If one eucalyptus tree takes 40 litres of water per day, then it means that all of them would die when there is no rain, without us even debating about it here. To some extent, I agreed that those things need to be checked. We must look at the kind of information and education we have sent out in terms of the economic benefits of some of those trees. Partly, there is a lot sense in terms of what Hon. Irene is bringing out but, on the other hand, there is quite a bit of a challenge that has to go with it. How do you even implement it in the first place? Unless you just want to have the Amendment Bill in the shelves and no agency is able to implement it. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}