HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 188238,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/188238/?format=api",
"text_counter": 170,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Kaino",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 32,
"legal_name": "Boaz Kipchumba Kaino",
"slug": "boaz-kaino"
},
"content": "Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I wish to commend my colleagues who have contributed to this very important Motion. As I said earlier, this forest is a very important forest. About 15 years ago when a study was carried out, 128,600 hectares of indigenous trees existed in Cherangany Hills. About 12,875 hectares of forest plantation also existed then. As I speak, if we conducted another study in the same place, we would find that this forest has been brought down drastically. This calls for immediate action from the Government to save this important forest. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, my colleagues here spoke and gave a lot of ideas and suggestions that are actually helpful to the protection of forests; not only in Cherangany Hills, but also in other forests in the country. Dr. Eseli from Western Kenya said that it is important that when we actually evict people from forests, we should also know exactly where to resettle them. These are human beings and Kenyan citizens. It was not their fault to be there in the forests. If the past Governments did mistakes, let us correct them and resettle our people. Let us tell them the importance of forests. As a result, we shall have no conflict between the wildlife and people who live around forests. I am referring to Mau Forest, Cherangany Hills, Aberdares and the mangrove forests in Coast Province. All those hon. Members who have spoken have strongly stated that forests must be protected. We are in this country to stay and our children are growing up. Where will they go if these forests are destroyed? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have heard the hon. Member for Mt. Elgon, hon. Wamalwa, Mr. Kioni, hon. Lessonet and many others. Hon. Lessonet spoke about Chemosusu Forest which is also under threat. My stand is not that the people of Kenya should be sent to the streets, so that they live there, while we preserve the forests. The forests are there for the people and the people are there also for the forests. All of them are very important. So, we must see to it that our people are not on the streets. There are plenty of farms in Trans Nzoia and Nakuru that people are willing to sell to the Government, so that people can be resettled there. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am talking about my people in Cherangany Hills where I also live. I am not against them. I love them. However, it must be known that millions of people depend on Cherangany Hills. They include people in Turkana and Ethiopia. We have River Moiben, River Siwa, River Kaptirit, River Chepkaitit and River Nzoia which all drain their water into Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is shared by Sudan and Egypt. All these waters emanate from that mountain. Therefore, it calls for proper and speedy protection. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we heard Dr. Khalwale talk about Kakamega Forest which is a tropical forest. It has unique tree species. There is also Maragoli Forest in Western Kenya which must also be protected. We have irrigation schemes which are in Turkana which need---"
}