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{
    "id": 479879,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/479879/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 284,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Tobiko",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1663,
        "legal_name": "Peris Pesi Tobiko",
        "slug": "peris-pesi-tobiko"
    },
    "content": "It is not my work but thank you for the opportunity to speak to this Bill. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, this country is well endowed with mineral resources and the coming of this Bill is very timely. It is good that we regularize the sector and harmonize the many pieces of legislations that are there. This is because quite a number of them are archaic; they come from colonial times and we need progressive laws. Of particular interest to me is the formula that is going to be there for the sharing of the benefits from the mining of whatever mineral is in a particular area. This Bill does not really address how the county governments, the community and the national Government are going to share the benefits that will accrue. So, I think this is one great anomaly in the Bill. The Bill is well intended but it needs amendments for it to address this very important sector. In my constituency, we have a lot of mining of limestone and gypsum that is going on by the various cement industries including Simba Cement, East Africa Portland Cement, Savannah Cement, Mombasa Cement and many more. There are quite a number in my constituency and I have seen a number of them, wherever they are doing their excavation, they have left very huge areas destroyed; areas that need rehabilitation. The environment is completely damaged and polluted. These are the things that should be addressed in this Bill. We need to have an environment that is habitable for human beings even if mining is going on. I also have concerns like many other hon. Members who have spoken about the emphasis on the role of the Cabinet Secretary. Whenever we are doing laws, I believe we should do laws for posterity and the holder of the Office should even think of a law that will exist beyond him or her. Most of the times when we pass Bills, people want to personalize laws. People want to do laws that will fit their situations and I think it is the wrong way to go. We must have laws that can exist 100 years and more. So, I think the emphasis of the Cabinet Secretary here is a bit too much. We should have other institutions playing a great role. Of course, the Cabinet Secretary will have his own role. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the Member for Turkana who spoke earlier mentioned mining in pastoralist areas and I share his sentiments. Our concern is that most of those communities have seen a lot of mining being done in our areas and the benefits go directly to Nairobi - to the central Government. The same thing has applied to the conservation of wildlife. In Kajiado, we have particularly the Amboseli National Park where all the benefits are going to the national Government."
}