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{
    "id": 183643,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/183643/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 187,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Nanok",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Forestry and Wildlife",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 57,
        "legal_name": "Josephat Koli Nanok",
        "slug": "josephat-nanok"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. October 16, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2811 (a) Yes, I am aware that Prosopis Juliflora commonly known as Mathenge weed is threatening the livelihood of people of Baringo District. (b) The Government of Kenya has initiated an intensive programme aimed at educating the local communities in Baringo and all the affected districts in the country on management and control of Prosopis Juliflora seeds. Some of the programmes carried out from 2004 are highlighted below:- (i) The pilot project on management and utilisation of Prosopis Juliflora in Baringo District. The project mobilised the local communities through formation of five self help groups. It has trained 24 facilitators and over 300 community members drawn from all the affected locations on how to manage and utilise Prosopis Juliflora trees. The training covered how to thin invasive populations of Prosopis Juliflora, prevention of re-growth by killing the stumps and planting grass, cost effective methods of making charcoal and processing of the nutritious pods to make livestock feed and human food. Currently, over 200 residents in Baringo have thinned their compounds and farmland and planted grass for their livestock, thereby reducing the problem of the trees. Many more residents are now adopting the introduced technologies. (ii) Using Prosopis Juliflora pods in the livestock feed industry. Prosopis Juliflora pods are highly nutritious and generally rival maize, wheat and other cereals used in the manufacture of livestock feed. Owing to the shortage of these cereals and the competition for their use in the manufacture of biofuel, Prosopis Juliflora has the potential to replace the cereals in the feeds industry. The pilot programme is now seeking ways to mobilise the affected local communities across the country to harvest, add value and commercialise the pods to livestock feed manufacturers. (iii) Use of Prosopis Juliflora for charcoal production. Prosopis Juliflora wood has a very high density and, therefore, produces high quality charcoal and timber. In the last few years, over 1,000 permits for making and transporting Prosopis Juliflora charcoal have been issued in Baringo District. On average, 40 tonnes per month of Prosopis Juliflora charcoal is being produced in Baringo, accruing over Kshs500,000 per month to the charcoal producers. If the marketing is well organised, the benefits could be well above Kshs1 million per month in Baringo District alone. (c) The Government is in the process of setting up a technical committee of experts in the light of the new research advancement in the last four years to consider this classification issue."
}