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{
    "id": 1517371,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1517371/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 291,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abdul Haji",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Sen. Essie was requesting that we have a way to track trees and know whether they are still standing or have been cut down. Sen. Essie is a youth so she is probably thinking how we should be more futuristic in this Bill. That is something we will consider. Sen. Mundigi was interested in medicinal value of trees and how we can commercialise that in our counties. Sen. Fatuma Dullo commented on medicinal trees too. She wanted us to consider how we can have licensing for trees for medicinal purposes so that there is a need to increase investment and research. She also suggested that there is a need to increase investment and research in issuance of licences to qualified individuals and institutions. Sen. Miraj was interested on how we can introduce a clause in the Bill where the youth can benefit from any initiative of planting and growing trees. Sen. Veronica took the opportunity to challenge the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to come up with initiatives to reward companies and the private sector when they take up initiatives of planting trees. The comments are many. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, your proposal was one of the most interesting. You suggested that we should include the word “grow” in the Bill instead of just having planting trees. That is important because most of the areas we were targeting with this Bill, you cannot just plant trees, you have to grow and nature them. That is something we should include in the Bill. There was also the issue of nurseries. The Bill had proposed a nursery in every county. There was a proposal that it should be in every sub-county as Sen. Joyce Korir had suggested. Sen. (Prof.) Kamar had a similar opinion. She wanted a nursery in every school in every sub-county, which is the same thing. That is something we can consider and agreed to be part of the amendment. Sen. Omogeni wanted us to strengthen the required meaningful public participation before any trees are cut down, which is very important. We should include that in the Bill. Sen. Mungatana raised a very important matter about the Uhuru Gardens. That is also something we should take up as Senators. Uhuru Gardens was intended for the public. Going by the name, it should be converted into a botanical garden so that people can visit and be educated on the different species of trees, flowers and other vegetations. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, as I had mentioned earlier, this Bill was intended to bring the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) into the fold of planting trees. It is very difficult to plant trees in ASALs. That is why this Bill was introducing indigenous trees that can withstand the harsh climate in our areas. When we introduce a Bill in Parliament, it is intended to make sure that it covers all the regions and benefits all the people of the country. Laws are supposed to govern each one of us equally. I was a bit disheartened and heartbroken by comments by certain leaders in our country who decided to criticise the initiative by the President to remove the extra vetting of Identity Cards (IDs) for the people of Northern Kenya and border counties. It was very reckless for an individual like Governor Natembeya of Trans Nzoia County to prejudice"
}