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{
    "id": 1496026,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1496026/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 411,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Suba South, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Caroli Omondi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Thank you very much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. Let me begin by congratulating my dear sister, Hon. Irene Mayaka, for keeping this matter alive. I first came across this issue sometime in 1994 when I was drafting the Environmental Management and Coordination Act. It was one of the big issues that came up at that time, but we did not quite deal with it. We thought we left it for regulations, but it is still coming up. I am happy that it is still alive. Hon. Temporary Speaker, the little I know about eucalyptus trees is that there are more than 700 species. Most of them are large trees, but there are shrubs too. Therefore, when we talk of eucalyptus, we are basically talking about 700 plus species. Each would be distinct and unique in their botanical characteristics and how they affect or interconnect with other species within the ecosystem. We are generally mostly talking about the gum trees in this particular debate. Eucalyptus are native to Australia, which shows us some qualities that they have. They can withstand dry climate and there lies the opportunity to have eucalyptus trees in Kenya. That is one of the reasons why they were brought here as a species. They are not indigenous to Kenya and they are not native. They were brought in as a plantation tree. Much of Australia is very dry and it is the eucalyptus trees that provide much of the vegetation. Therefore, as we demonise or debate on what eucalyptuses are, we should also acknowledge their good aspects. Generally, ecosystems are inter-dependent. Species support fellow species. The eucalyptus supports some insects and animals, hence creating ecological balance within the ecosystem and the equilibrium amongst species. We may have issues with it, but we should not wholesomely condemn it or even remove it from the Republic as is being suggested. We need to be very clear of what it is that we want to do. There is this debate, but it is not conclusive, whether eucalyptus consume a lot of water or drain water aquifers or rivers. I was just looking at some reports online and one of the leading scholars from Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) is saying that eucalyptus only use water during photosynthesis to produce wood. There is a study which confirms that eucalyptus, in terms of producing biomass or wood fuel, is the most efficient tree. We have heard other Members allude to that fact. It is important that we ask for further studies. My concern is that we want to ban it along rivers without specifying what the riparian is. There is a regulation somewhere of 30 meters from the centre point of the river on either side – which is the riparian area – or 30 meters from the shore line of the lake, also known as, the low tide zone. The problem is this: What about the water aquifers, which are all inter-connected underground and form sources of rivers? What are we going to do with them? As a House, we need a more definitive study. We need an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report from the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA) on what eucalyptus are and how they relate with water sources. Otherwise, it is very difficult. We can see we have a problem, but we cannot put our hands perfectly on it. I would like to encourage Hon. Irene to get us more scientific reference material before we get to the Third Reading, so that we are better informed. I am very happy that this issue has been kept alive. I think there is a problem, but Eucalyptus trees have a big ecological benefit to our country that we also need to be alive to. With those remarks, I encourage the Hon. Member to get us more scientific data and reports to read, so that when we say we are going to ban them along rivers, we can know the distances; how far we deal with water aquifers and other sources of water. Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker."
}