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{
    "id": 503351,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503351/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 124,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Aden",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 15,
        "legal_name": "Aden Bare Duale",
        "slug": "aden-duale"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Amendment) Bill, 2014. As I start my contribution, I want to join my colleagues who have just spoken before me. Indeed, it is not a matter concerning the level of education of hon. Members here, but this Bill is a bit technical. I have been looking at this Bill for the last few days. I can tell you, it is a very complicated Bill, because it touches mainly on the environment, water, wildlife and there are other existing legislations doing the same. With a lot of caution, I must say that, it would have been far more safer for this particular Bill to have been looked at by the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, so that we know that there is nothing inconsistent with other Bills. There are issues touching on water in this Bill and I want to say that, it is my deep concern that, by the time we go through this Bill, the issues we have stated here with regard to water and management of water--- The Cabinet Secretary is given powers among other things which include recommending certain issues on water like standards of drinking water, water for industrial use, agriculture and many more. I am sure within the Water Bill, there will be elements that will touch on the same. When you look at environmental pollution, be it air or noise, I have seen other legislations address this particular issue. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, therefore this is a very complicated Bill. It requires us to subject it to a lot of scrutiny, including public participation. One of the things this Bill is trying to do, for example, is to dissolve the Public Complaints Committee and transfer the same to a certain department within the Ministry. In my view, that amounts to taking away certain rights which were previously enjoyed by members of the public, in terms of access to the Public Complaints Committee. That is why we would have required doing public participation. Having said that and cautiously having put those issues ahead, this Bill is good in many ways. With regard to devolution of the management of environment to the counties, this Bill goes a long way in empowering our counties to take responsibility of managing their own environment. This is in line with the spirit of our new Constitution. These counties will now be allowed to form county environment committees, which will consist of bodies as described by the Act here. This will include experts, heads of NGOs and departments that deal with the environment. I am glad because I come from a The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}