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{
    "id": 531433,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/531433/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 405,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, my father in his evangelism, like Paul in the Bible, also engages himself in other responsibilities. Paul used to make tents and preach the gospel at the same time. So, one of the things that my father used to do on the side is actually to buy gold from small miners in the famous River Embobut. When I was barely 15 years old, I also used to buy gold on his behalf. Therefore, I have a lot of interest in issues of regulation and licensing to small artisans. It is not said but if you go to North Rift, especially West Pokot, you will find there are a lot of deposits of gold, gypsum and cement. If you go to Elgeyo-Marakwet, you will find gold and many other undiscovered precious stones in a place called Koitilial in Marakwet West. We have other very important and wonderful minerals that are yet to be explored. So, that could be the same for many counties. Therefore, it is important to have a legal regime or system that provides institutions that are going to manage issues of minerals in a very organized manner. That is why I have been impressed by Clause 17, which institutionalizes the Directorate of Mines and Directorate of Geological survey. It also provides its functioning and an institutional frame work for the directorate to promote management of mineral resources; to assist the country in matters of regulation and ensure that there is compliance with conditions that are provided for, and related to mineral rights. This becomes like the overall institution that is working together with other institutions that I will mention shortly, that are dealing with regulation and administration of matters of minerals. As a country, we are moving from an agricultural country to matters of minerals. We need to open up that potential and take advantage in terms of building our economy by exploring and making use of the minerals. The functions of Directorate of Geology are also enunciated in this Clause 21 and making it very clear that they will do a lot of geological analysis and valuations. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I hope to deal with matters of monitoring seismic activities and mapping of various potential geo-hazards. We need these institutions to be in place and to be accountable. If you travel along the Rift Valley, you will find that the rivers and the lakes are swelling. For example, Lake Nakuru has swallowed a number of hotels, roads and the trees within the National Park. If you fly over Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru as I often do, you will find that the flamingoes that were usually around that place have migrated because of the swelling of the rivers. Many hotels were swallowed by Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria, and many people displaced. We need this Department of Geology to advice the country about geo- hazards because the explanations we get are scanty. We have never debated properly and got an institution that tells the nation what exactly is going on along the Rift Valley. There was a time we experienced tremors and earthquakes. Prophets have taken the credit to be the ones who have prophesied but we need scientific explanations on the issues happening in those areas. Clause 22 provides and establishes the National Mining Corporation, as State Corporation that deals with matters that are very important for the management of engaging the mineral prospecting and mining and invest on behalf of national 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."
}