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{
    "id": 595342,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/595342/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 344,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ganya",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 18,
        "legal_name": "Francis Chachu Ganya",
        "slug": "francis-ganya"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Deputy Speaker, Article 69 of our Constitution is very clear about sharing of benefits accrued from natural resources with small communities, future generations and all other parties concerned. It is important that we have a formula on how resources can be shared between the national Government, county governments as well as a host of local communities where these resources are mined or exploited. In the Mining Bill, which is almost a law now, we ensured that there is a formula for the sharing of accrued benefits from that resource. We said that 70 per cent should go to the national Government, 20 per cent to the county government and ten per cent to local communities. I really hope that the formulae that will be used in sharing the accrued benefits when it comes to oil and gas reserves will ensure that a similar framework is used. This will ensure that the local communities as well as our county governments benefit. The issue of safety and health is really important, even when it comes to this issue of oil and gas. While I do not have any conclusive or empirical evidence to support what I am saying, today there is a big cancer crisis in Northern Kenya, particularly in my Constituency of North Horr. We had major oil explorations done by M/s Amoco and other large companies in the 1980s. While we do not have any empirical evidence to attribute what is happening today to them, there is a lot of talk out there, with a lot of people suggesting that some hazardous, or chemical waste was stored in those areas during that exploration phase. Again, I cannot empirically verify what I am saying. But, these fears are there. Hon. Deputy Speaker, we know that companies from Europe deposited so much hazardous waste in Somalia when it was a failed state. That is a well written fact. I came across this when I was a student of Environmental Science many years ago. It is really important that issues of safety and health are taken care of to ensure that there are no hazardous substances deposited in those areas when these big companies are exploring and discovering oil. With those few remarks, I support the Bill."
}