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    "id": 499710,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/499710/?format=api",
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    "content": "preside over the “Upper House”, thanks to devolution and the change in the thinking of the country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you may recall that right from Independence, development in this country followed the railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret, the detour to Kisumu, to Malaba and then another one going up to Nanyuki. Development was structured to follow the railway line. So counties that never had the railway line like Turkana were not part of this country. Indeed as a very young lawyer, I used to go to northern Kenya and you get people who tell you; we are leaving Mandera, going to Kenya. People used to say in Lodwar ; tunatoka Turkana, tunaenda Kenya and yet they were in Kenya. This new Constitution is a very complex document. Anybody who wants to approach it in a simplistic manner by reading sections and chapters in isolation will not do justice to the people of Kenya. You cannot, for example, go to the Fourth Schedule and say that you have ended dissecting what is national and what is county; you have to read the whole Constitution. A lot of things are happening in this country since devolution came. Counties like Marsabit and Mandera, in one year have received more resources than they have ever received since Independence for 50 years, courtesy of devolution. Good things will always have challenges and defenders of the status quo and the interests of yesterday. When Jesus came to proclaim the good news, those who did not believe in change instantly put him to death. Those who used to stand on the street corner and declare to all and sundry how pious they were. Mohammed met the same fate. I do not know what fate Pastor Kanyari will meet. Mr. Speaker, Sir, when you look at the Constitution – I want to emphasize the points made by Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki – in reference to the Mining Bill because like I said, this is the case; as Paul Newman in the “Verdict” would put it. If you look at Article 71, it says that a transaction is subject to ratification by Parliament if it involves the grant of a right or concession by or on behalf of any person including the national Government. This is being vested in the county governments. The county government can give concessions even to the national Government. This is about resources including mines. I am afraid Sen. Kembi-Gitura is walking away when I was just about to quote him on something that we have been discussing. When I posted Sen. Kembi-Gitura to Belgium as an Ambassador, he tells me – it is something I had heard before and I am not saying it to demean him because he knows that I did – he met the King of Belgium and the King of Belgium told him: “You come from a country that has such enormous minerals resources that are untapped. Your coming here is an eye opener for you to engage us to work together”. I believe I have quoted him correctly because he has told me this before. I travelled with a professor of geology; an Indian who has become a citizen of Canada. He told me that from seismic data available, this country, Kenya, has more mineral wealth than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. These mineral resources are in the counties; in the land of our ancestors. Who can tell us that Kwale has no say in a Mining 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."
}