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"id": 503405,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/503405/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Ng’etich",
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"speaker": {
"id": 511,
"legal_name": "Cecilia Chelangat Ngetich",
"slug": "cecilia-chelangat-ngetich"
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"content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also support the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Amendment) Bill, 2014. The purpose of this, as clearly stated, is to comply with the Constitution, and to ensure that there is proper co-ordination and management of the environment. Previously, this was done by various institutions, some of which were in conflict with one another. Some had overlapping responsibilities while others had been overtaken by events. I, therefore, want to appreciate the Mover of the Bill. It is quite timely; the various amendments it has proposed cannot be ignored. Last week, we passed a Bill on the Public Service values. This goes hand in hand with this Bill in the sense that environmental pollution is a major problem in Kenya. When you go to the estates, you find heaps and heaps of solid waste. For example, Nairobi River is highly polluted, and so are many others. This will strengthen the Authority and will give effective service now that it will be closer to the people through devolution. It will, therefore, as stated in the proposed amendments, provide for very stiff penalties to those who engage in willful pollution. Habits, they say, die hard. I wish to propose here that if we want to succeed in ensuring that people take care of the environment with ownership and responsibility, it will be good to instill in them these values right from school. They should be taught how to be responsible and to keep their environment clean. We should strengthen the Environment Clubs in schools. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you have witnessed this several times, while driving behind a bus, you are lucky if you do not find somebody throwing a maize comb and almost hitting your windscreen. Therefore, these values should be instilled right from the time when one is young. As for the adults, the law can be enforced because these are people who can understand the meaning of obeying laws. In many parts of our country, we have witnessed high soil degradation through soil erosion. I want to mention that the former President, His Excellency Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, initiated a good scheme for preventing soil erosion and thus preserving the environment through the “ Zuia Mmonyoko wa Udongo” campaign. It had become synonymous with him, so much so that everyone knew what he stood for. With regard to this, as leaders, we need to lead by example. We need to show in our various areas of jurisdiction what we are doing to ensure that the environment is preserved. Secondly, during those days of the former President, His Excellency Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi, we had a tree planting day every year, where every student and all 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."
}