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{
    "id": 385281,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/385281/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 30,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Abdirahman",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 161,
        "legal_name": "Abdirahman Ali Hassan",
        "slug": "abdirahman-ali-hassan"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I stand to second this Motion by Sen. (Dr.) Zani regarding a very important sector, that of natural resources in Kenya. Our country is endowed with great potential in natural resources. If we, as a country, really get to understand how much we can benefit from our natural resources, really this will not only improve our livelihoods, but also greatly, as it has done in the past, contribute to our economic performance. Many a time we have had investors coming to our country, negotiations are done at national level, but controversies rage in counties. I am sure last year many of us noted what happened in Kwale County over the issue of mining. This was because there are no clear positions in terms of what communities are expected to benefit from such resources. More importantly, under the new constitutional dispensation, where we have gone into devolved government units, we need to be very clear on how best our counties are expected to benefit. Some of our counties are not able to generate sufficient income locally. The fact that such a Motion comes in to force, from which we expect the relevant line Ministries to pick up appropriate policies or legislations, then we will be in a better position to locally finance some of our development programmes. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, many a times a number of investors who set up companies around say that under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), they will support community initiatives. We have witnessed that let alone taking up a little on their shoulders, they have evaded community responsibilities. At their expense, we continue to suffer so much environmental damages. Passing such a Motion will be able to help us out of some of these issues. Let me talk about two issues on minerals and petroleum. I will pick the cement industry as an example. Besides the East African Portland Cement (EAPC) where the Government of Kenyans has about 52 per cent shareholding, all other companies such as Athi River Mining Limited (ARML) and Mombasa Cement Limited (MCL) are purely owned by private investors. What they contribute to counties or individual communities does not make a difference. If you look at the issue of wildlife conservation, private consevercies have come up. However, there are no clear guidelines on how best they should reciprocate their earnings in terms of supporting communities. It is indicative that we have clear gaps in terms of finding out how much they should contribute. But it is imperative that, we, as a country, ask these investors to pay royalties. Whichever way we manage, I am sure the relevant Ministries can be guided. But we must agree on a common approach that we ask them to pay royalties, including the latest discovery of oil in Northern Turkana, one of the disadvantaged regions. We know the latest International 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."
}