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{
    "id": 593792,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/593792/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 370,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. A.O. Ahmed",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 3001,
        "legal_name": "Abdikadir Ore Ahmed",
        "slug": "abdikadir-ore-ahmed"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me this opportunity. This Bill is coming at the right time, a time when mining and prospects of minerals and mineral products are tremendously increasing in Kenya. It is important for us to have some laws to govern what the prospectors are doing, the compensation of communities, and make sure that roles of various institutions are very clear. What we have been seeing in most instances is that companies come to prospect, and after some months, or a year, they just leave the communities in a lot of environmental degradation and the communities are not able to follow up, because they do not know where to go. In some cases, there are reports that since such prospecting started, there have been increase in diseases, both of human beings and animals in the affected areas. I completely support the Senate amendments to this Bill, especially on matters of compensation to communities and making roles of various institutions very clear. This is something that should take a multi-sectoral approach. Governors need to have a role at the county level. The CS, the Director for Geology and the community should also have their roles. So, I support the amendments to the Bill. I would urge the concerned State department to come up with regulations that will involve communities in mining operations. The regulations should make sure that the communities also participate. In most places where mining is going on, land is owned by the community. In such cases, it is important that the communities are prepared in advance. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
}