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{
    "id": 504798,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/504798/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 166,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon Mbui",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1750,
        "legal_name": "Robert Mbui",
        "slug": "robert-mbui"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Speaker for this opportunity to contribute to this very important Bill, which is the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Amendment) Bill. I want to say that it is our responsibility to take care of our environment because it is the only one that we have. We must ensure that as we spend our time on this earth, we leave it better or just as good as we found it. I want to point out some area that I feel is of utmost importance in managing our environment; sand harvesting in my constituency in Kathiani. This has been a major problem and I think it is time this issue is addressed. We know that sand is required in the City but every time sand harvesters harvest sand, we cause soil erosion and our farms are getting seriously affected by that. This is one of the issues that need to be looked at. In the developed world, I understand that sand is not harvested from the rivers. They actually crush stones to make sand for construction and maybe that is one of the issues that need to be looked at. NEMA has a responsibility to ensure that these things happen, but you have noticed that they tend to spend their time doing very minor things as opposed to looking at those major issues like sand harvesting. I am looking at the Second Schedule that indicates the projects that require submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Report. I want to say that this is very good in theory, but in practice these people are asking for an assessment report even for painting of a house. I think it is important that these things are pointed out clearly. We need to know what falls under this assessment report and what does not. I recently got involved in a situation where we were doing minor renovations in a house, just a bit of paint work and minor repairs and NEMA people came in and said they wanted an assessment report. The cost of the repair is about Kshs.10,000 and producing an assessment report would cost Kshs.70,000. So, it did not make sense at all. It is therefore important that we look at this so that we deal with these issues. I believe that when we do that, we will reduce issues of corruption. I know that there is other important business coming up. I want to stop there and say thank you for the opportunity."
}