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{
    "id": 381153,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/381153/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13115,
        "legal_name": "Beatrice Elachi",
        "slug": "beatrice-elachi"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I also rise to support the Mover of the Motion and to congratulate her for reminding us today that it is important to remember the late Michuki. It is during the time of the late Michuki as the Minister for Environment that we saw this country redevelop environmental policies to ensure that we are able to safeguard the rivers and river beds. Madam Temporary Speaker, you remember you were also an Assistant Minister at that time. You both joined hands together to make sure that we could safeguard Nairobi River. Again, I know today that the gains have been eroded; we are back to the same problem. Madam Temporary Speaker, maybe what we face in this country today is an attitude problem. We need to ask ourselves: “How do we deal with this character? I know that Sen. Amos Wako talked about it. I think that is the most challenging thing with all of us, Kenyans. We start something so well, but in between, if we do not have the person insisting and being committed, then it just dies off. The next person who takes over that Ministry, if he or she is not going to do the same, then you find everything just going back to zero. But today, we want to thank God that the policies that the late Michuki started, are continuing. We are able to see their impact in Naivasha, Elementaita and in all the ecosystems which are recovering. We have even been able to understand why we need to conserve our rivers. You can imagine what happened in Mau forest. It is the same challenge we are facing here. We are faced with about 12 rivers that flow down to the Mau forest disappearing. But, again, I think we are now recovering them. These are resources we are talking about. These are the natural resources we can now use to develop the counties that we have. Madam Temporary Speaker, I know also that the late Wangari Maathai was one woman who stood firm to protect the environment. You will remember that in Spring Valley, Nairobi, she was able to push an agenda but, apparently, it was too tough for her that, today, the rich were able to build on top of the water catchment areas that we know would also have sustained the Nairobi River. This is one thing we, as politician, find ourselves tied up. As I would wish to push an agenda, I know that we also have a private sector that is interested in whatever we do. We must encourage a mindset change so that we fight corruption. For example, we need to talk to stakeholders in industrial area so that they stop polluting Nairobi River. We should impose stiff penalties on anybody who pollutes our rivers. I urge the communities living along river banks to safeguard the water from those rivers. These are the same waters that ensure that we have the best Sukumawiki, as you move down to where the Chair comes from, Kasarani Constituency. We admire them. But when they come to the shops, they lead to high cases of cancer among our people. These vegetables are mixed up with chemicals and other effluent from industries. This could be the reason we have many Kenyans and even young children suffering from cancer and diabetes. It is also time we questioned our way of approving things. We must find out what the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is doing about our riparian areas. They are so quiet. We do not know what they are doing. They are supposed to take care of our environment. NEMA is supposed to guide us and to remind us every day that water is life. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}