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{
    "id": 28175,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/28175/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 709,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Michuki",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Environment and Mineral Resources",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 183,
        "legal_name": "John Njoroge Michuki",
        "slug": "john-michuki"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker for granting me this opportunity to second this Motion. In doing so, I do not want to repeat what my colleague, the Mover, Mr. James Orengo has said. However, I would like this House to know and I am sure those who have studied this Bill have already noticed that the creation of this court will revolutionize how justice reaches our people. In this court, no Kenyans or any other person will be required to show that he has a locus standi . The rules that require that you must establish your connection with the matter before the court will not apply. You will be able to go to this court and get the polluter of Nairobi River to quote where an order will be made. You will not be required to prove why you are concerned about that pollution of the river. So, this system of justice has been overdue. I think it does explain the fact that 80 per cent of the backlog of cases in courts in Kenya relate to these matters of land, environment, title deeds and the occupation of land. As soon as this Bill becomes law, the High Court and all other courts will no longer deal with these matters. This is because they will be solely in the hands of this court that will also not be doing anything else other than to deal with matters concerning the environment, land, occupation and title deeds. Therefore, Kenyans will not only be able to protect themselves through this court; they will protect the future as well. They will be able to go to Mau and say: “You are destroying that condition which is needed by those who will come after you by destroying these forests.” You will go to places that I have seen, where people have cultivated the slopes of various hills causing soil erosion and also depleting the fertility of that soil. They will be able to go there and say: “No, you cannot do this.”, and the court will not need to prove why you are doing that because it will be its duty to recognize that you are doing so because of posterity, and not because of selfishness. Therefore, it seems to me that this is a Bill that must be passed in haste in order to confront the problems that we have."
}