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{
    "id": 491331,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/491331/?format=api",
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    "content": "communities and asked them what their priorities were and we realized that they had different priorities. One of the key things of emphasis that was very critical for us was that they identified specific projects that they will tie that revenue to, so that, that is not revenue that has gone into a kitty and it is being utilized without the communities having a direct identification but as a result of the monies that have been accrued or the revenues that have been accrued from these particular natural resources, then we are able to actually reap in this specific way. That was very important for us. Madam Temporary Speaker, I alluded to the rehabilitation of sites, especially in the trip that we made to Machakos sand rivers. It was really sad to find river beds that are completely depleted and communities there living in a very impoverished state because of them having a natural resource from which they should reap from. This was the story that kept replicating itself across all the various counties. So, we have taken note of that and many Senators have also spoken about that. That is something that we need to do so that, at least, we give back so that the communities know that they are able to get something. Madam Temporary Speaker, the implication of revenue collecting authorities and tightening of revenue authorities and implementation of the same will be very critical. Even as we discuss the Bill, we will have to make sure that there are no loopholes that will not allow the situation that Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale spoke about; that somebody ends up really becoming very enriched as a result of a kitty that should be used at the county and community level. So, we have to make sure that the money is collected in a very transparent manner, it goes into a particular kitty and we can actually follow up and find out what exactly has happened. Madam Temporary Speaker, last but not least, I would like to thank the investors who were very forthcoming and we learned a lot. They gave us proposals and we have taken those proposals into account even as we finally ended up with a final model. There are two key deliverables in the Bill that we propose to present to this House; one is the setting up of the Benefits Sharing Authority (BSA) at the national level, which is very critical. So, we have cascaded it at three different levels; the BSA at the national level; a County Benefit Sharing Committee at the county level and, lastly, a Community Benefit Sharing Committee at the lowest level and that is the level of the community itself. We have tried as much as possible to ensure that at the various levels, we have people who are going to contribute appropriately because we realized, for example, that at the community level, we have tried to make it not very bureaucratic by having a Government of bureaucrats that is top-heavy. So, we have tried as much as possible to bring in local community leadership – the people who know the problems; the people who the communities have confidence in – so that they can actually share and indicate what the real issues are. At the county level as well, we have tried to empower the community to ensure that they are able to distribute, share, articulate and put together the package that is clearly for them. 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."
}