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{
"id": 242549,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/242549/?format=api",
"text_counter": 220,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Maathai",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 226,
"legal_name": "Wangari Muta Maathai",
"slug": "wangari-maathai"
},
"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is charged with the responsibility of managing natural resources. One of the most important natural resources in this country is our soil. The other resource is water and so it does not make sense to see the Ministry of Roads and Public Works clearing bushes which leads to loss of both water and soil. I know this is something that may not have crossed the Ministry of Roads and Public Works because it does not perceive itself as being responsible for the road reserves but I think it should. As I said, all these six Ministries should come together with a policy on the management of road reserves. I am talking from experience because I represent a constituency where I contribute to the management of both the natural resources and roads and I am constantly being called to repair roads that have been destroyed by the rains. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the next item that I want to talk about which shows that we do things without thinking is an incident within the Ministry of Energy. This Ministry once had a Christmas card which displayed the Kindaruma Dam. The water of Kindaruma Dam which was displayed on the card was very brown. Now, I was not quite sure whether the Minister was trying to explain that we had a problem of siltation in the dam or maybe he probably thought that the water in Kindaruma Dam was supposed to be brown. Now, the card should have displayed clean blue water but the fact that it displayed brown colour made me wonder whether we think before we act. The Kindaruma Dam should not be silted. It is partly silted because of the mismanagement of road reserves. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I speak there is a policy which I think came from the Ministry of Roads and Public Works or whatever. In fact, I have been in touch with the Ministry of Roads and Public Works trying to understand where this policy matter came from. It is a policy of expanding rural roads. In so doing, we are cutting down every vegetation, especially trees and other green fences perceived to be road reserve. The explanation given is that we need 2144 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 18, 2006 wide roads. Why do we need wide roads? Some of the excuses for cutting down trees and vegetation is that the road belongs to the Government and, therefore, people should not be planting trees. What will the Government do with that road reserve? It is better to encourage farmers to plant vegetation, especially trees along our roads. At the same time, increase the beauty of the countryside. I do not understand why any officer in the Government would have given instructions to people to cut down trees along the roads. This is something that the Ministry of Roads and Public Works must address and take the necessary action. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for the record, we have been raising the issue of having a road constructed between Kinangop and Nyeri. As important as the Aberdare Forest is as a water catchment area, we will not be able to save it from encroachment as long as people around this mountain grow cash crops and require land for food production in the forest. One way in which we can encourage people, especially on the Nyeri side, not to encroach on the forest is to open up the road between Kinangop and Nyeri and allow food, which is in plenty in Kinangop, to come to Nyeri area. This is the best way of protecting our forests. We will also be opening a tourist area because that is a very beautiful part of the country. People coming, for example, from Maasai Mara wanting to tour the Mt. Kenya region, will not have to come to Nairobi and go all round. They can go through the Aberdare Forest. We can do an environmental impact assessment that, I am quite sure, would show how we can construct the road and, at the same time, be able to protect our environment, the catchment area and wildlife. I say this because I know that some people are concerned that if we open up that road, we shall intrude into the wildlife. We have Mombasa Road, which is in between two national parks. We just need to have proper management. We can open up this road and it can be extremely economically productive. We can do so, while at the same time, protecting our environment. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, I am very impressed by the Nairobi City Council (NCC). I would like to commend the Ministry of Local Government for the way they have deliberately tried to plant trees in the City. Just to show the contradiction of what I said a little earlier; we are cutting down trees in the rural areas to expand rural roads, and we are saying we do not want any trees on the road reserve, yet, right here in Nairobi, we are very busy planting trees on the road reserve. I am commending the NCC. We really need a certain amount of connection and consultations between our Ministries, so that we do not seem to work as different Governments when, in fact, our common objective is to develop this country in a way that we can truly make it beautiful. Protecting our environment is one way in which we can have beautiful road reserves. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, with these few remarks, I beg to support."
}