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{
    "id": 530617,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/530617/?format=api",
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    "content": "of the House, you know that we give the Committee Chairperson, immediately, after moving and seconding so that they give deeper input to a Bill. Be that as it may, this Bill makes reference to a subject that is cross-cutting. Schedule 422 gives environment matters to the national Government. However, when you go to the Schedule that gives responsibilities to the county governments, every single portfolio, you can think about has an impact on environment. Therefore, it is important that we cascade the responsibilities of managing our environment to be shared responsibly and almost equally between the national Government and the county governments. Equally important, at the Committee Stage, I will encourage the Mover to bring an amendment. Environment is a national responsibility. We are transferring a substantial responsibility of this to the counties. Under the Constitution, every responsibility must be followed by a monetary consideration. The Committees that will be set up at the counties should not join and share in the little envelop that we will give county governments, but have an equally measurable fund moving from the national Government to the county Government to manage the environment even if they were to move as conditional grants to the county governments. As you go through the Bill, you will see that county governments will have a very heavy and costly responsibility in managing the environment. I would like to point out that county governments are obligated to form environmental committees. The qualifications of those who sit in these committees should be clearly defined so that we do not end up with counties rewarding cronies who know very little about environment and who will do very little to enhance environmental position of any counties. They will sit in committees in the Kenyan style of eating chips instead of working. This issue becomes more important when you see what is happening in the Mau and some place in Nandi. I saw the young Senator from Nandi trying to drag my name into irrelevancies a few minutes ago. There are people in Nandi who stay around a very critical wetland. Here, you will find an endangered antelope. Reports may show that they maliciously committed arson on this environmental set up simply because forest guards arrested two people who were poaching. Now, all antelopes are in danger of extinction because fire is consuming the entire wetland because of drought and the malicious acts of these individuals. I expect, when the Senator for Nandi speaks, to tell us what is happening because that is not a heritage of the Nandi people, but a heritage of the people of Kenya. We must protect our heritage at all costs. The provisions in Clause 27 will create policies that will help to manage the environment. I want the Senate Majority Leader to consider management of environment as a national service. Giving environmental impact assessment certificates should be done nationally. In the process of working, NEMA is escalating the costs of doing business in Kenya. You are simply told that 1.5 per cent of the value of the structure must be paid to them. What for? Is it for giving a one-page certificate? So, if somebody is putting up in Nairobi a structure worth Kshs3 billion, that means that they will pay close to Kshs45 million to NEMA for nothing. They simply walk with hands in their pockets to tell you to proceed with your construction. 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."
}