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{
"id": 1499475,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1499475/?format=api",
"text_counter": 338,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kajiado North, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Onesmus Ngogoyo",
"speaker": null,
"content": "will be removed, in order to maintain wetlands, rivers, lakes, or any other place, including sources of water. As a committee, we also feel that the law should be futuristic. A good law should look at the future and not only now. We think, apart from eucalyptus, and I thank the Hon. Nyenze who mentioned the issue of Mathenge, other counties are not affected by eucalyptus, but by the Mathenge. Let me call it a weed that has now taken over. In Magadi in Kajiado County, the Mathenge shrub has replaced grass. You literally cannot get grass where the Mathenge tree grows. In Baringo County, it is actually a crisis. Therefore, we will support Hon. Mayaka's amendment with another amendment to include any other tree, so that it is not only eucalyptus, but other species that are dangerous to our sources of water, so that we deal with this problem once and for all. The introduction of this amendment gives us an opportunity to make a law that will be very consistent, and that will look at the future. It will enable the Cabinet Secretary together with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), because it is the implementing agency, once they realise that there is an hazardous tree, they will create a regulation on how to deal with it. Lastly, I want to talk about Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI). It is the institute in Kenya that should tell us about any dangerous tree. But because it is ever underfunded, they are not able to do what is correct. First, no foreign tree be introduced to Kenya before testing its impact within a period of time. Normally, they recommend 10 years. Before a tree like eucalyptus was accepted in this country, for 10 years of testing, they should have learned its advantages. It is actually a commercial tree. But in South Africa, it is never planted on government land. It is private people who grow. They are given specific areas where they grow it. They are actually inspected properly. If you visit that country, you will be surprised that KEFRI inspects people who do private tree planting. Therefore, as a committee, we are happy that this amendment going forward will provide a good route. I thank Hon. Mayaka for being foresighted. To improve further, we will be introducing amendments so that this law is not only for eucalyptus, it is for any hazardous tree and it will look at the future and will provide the Cabinet Secretary and NEMA with more tools so that they are able to stop, maintain, and detect. KEFRI will provide the technical knowledge. For your information, KRFRI is one of the best institutions in Africa, but their funding is 90 percent from private sector and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JAICA). The Government of Kenya does not provide a coin. I challenge our Kenya Kwanza Government. We are saying we want to plant 15 billion trees. The Government needs to provide seedlings. It is only KEFRI that can provide them. The Government does not put even a shilling to KEFRI to provide the seedlings. That will be a major. We cannot have output without input. Let the Government provide the resources so that it also counters the process. If we cut down the existing eucalyptus, it will have a disadvantage. So, going forward, we need to look at it in a better manner. Now that the Government is broad-based, let us also be broad-based when we are thinking about a solution going forward. Thank you very much. And Hon. Mayaka, pongezi sana for that."
}