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{
"id": 294467,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/294467/?format=api",
"text_counter": 130,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Nanok",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Wildlife and Forestry",
"speaker": {
"id": 57,
"legal_name": "Josephat Koli Nanok",
"slug": "josephat-nanok"
},
"content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) I am aware that in Keiyo South Constituency, there are a total of 21 primary schools, seven secondary schools and polytechnics, 15 churches, dispensaries and various Government offices on forest land. (b) My Ministry is not taking any steps to ensure that the institutions in the forest are issued with title deeds because the forest land in question is a State forest that is gazetted and reserved for the conservation and management of forests under the Forest Act. Currently, forests in the country cover only 5.6 per cent of the land surface area, which is below the constitutional requirement of 10 per cent forest cover. In addition, most of these forests are not categorised as State forests and, therefore, are not well protected. Under the prevailing conditions of low forest cover, excessive pressure to convert forest land into other usages, direct degradation of forests through poaching, and global concerns on mitigation of climate change through carbon de-concentration; the Ministry of Wildlife and Forestry will only prioritize and support activities that will result in an increase of the forest cover in the country. Therefore, the forest land in question is not available for de-gazetment or excision for other uses, unless Parliament instructs so. However, in order to resolve the situation of the institutions already located in that forest and other State forests throughout the country, the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), which is mandated to manage and conserve forests, has developed policy guidelines on facilities in State forest reserves. Under the Act, these facilities are required to be issued with special user licences to operate within the forest reserves. The KFS has initiated the process of issuance of the special user licences and several institutions have already been licensed. The guidelines require that all public facilities in the forests, which include schools, colleges, churches, hospitals, Provincial Administration offices, Nyayo Tea Zones, Kenya Wildlife Service camps, Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI) offices, police stations, among others; pay land rent specified in the Forest Service General Orders. In addition, non-public institutions and facilities such as hospitals, schools and colleges within the forest should pay an annual operational fee of Kshs50,000, Kshs100,000 and Kshs200,000, respectively. Thank you."
}