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{
    "id": 503381,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503381/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 154,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Dr.) Otichilo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 131,
        "legal_name": "Wilber Ottichilo Khasilwa",
        "slug": "wilber-ottichilo"
    },
    "content": "So, this is an area where I believe that we may need to reinstate this committee. This committee is free. It goes all round the country and people are able to talk to them very freely. Otherwise, if you tell Kenyans to go to court on environmental issues, it is very unlikely that they will go. The other thing which I want to support in this Bill is the need for preparation of a three-year National Environment Action Plan. This is extremely important. We need to have a national action plan, which states what we should do to address our environmental challenges. This is a very important inclusion in this Bill; I think it is very timely. The provision that enables counties to prepare a county environmental action plan is very important. This is going to take environmental issues to the county level, so that they can be addressed at that level. Counties are going to identify their key environmental issues and address them during their budgetary processes and implementation of projects. So, this is a very good and innovative inclusion in this Bill. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, the inclusion of standards and guidelines for climate change is very important, because the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is supposed to enforce them. It is important that NEMA has standards and guidelines on climate change. Climate change is the single most important threat to human life today. Unless we come up with both adaptation and modification measures to deal with climate change, our planet is at risk. The other issue which I want to note is the strengthening of the National Environment Tribunal. This is also extremely important. By strengthening the Tribunal, we will be able to deal with environmental issues. Where people contravene environmental laws, this Tribunal will be able to handle their cases. There is one area which has been totally ignored in this Bill, and, which to me, is very important. This is to do with national environmental accounting system. Our environment is being destroyed because people do not put value on it. People do not put value on air, water and aesthetics of being in an enabling environment. So, it is important that this Bill has a section which will compel this country to say what the value of our 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."
}