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"id": 596070,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/596070/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Chanzu",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 11,
"legal_name": "Yusuf Kifuma Chanzu",
"slug": "yusuf-chanzu"
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"content": "Petroleum is a very important natural resource and commodity not only in this country, but also worldwide. It is very important that, as we start the issue of exploration, development and production of the commodity, we put in place measures to safeguard the resource itself, provide guidelines on how it is going to be utilised and related aspects such as how the environment shall be protected. It is when we get into the aspect of exploration that you find a lot of competing interests, including environmental issues. It is very important that we pass laws which will guide how exploration and development shall be done. I am very pleased that this Bill, under Clause 14, proposes the establishment of an upstream petroleum regulatory authority, with powers to regulate and control exploration, development and production of oil. It is very important that we lay emphasis on that aspect. First of all, we must have proper laws in place to safeguard petroleum mining. Unless we have institutions in place to make sure that the laws are properly implemented, there will be problems. The other thing I like about this Bill is the calibre of people being recommended or suggested to run the institution. With regard to the qualifications of the chairman, the Bill specifies that the candidate should have a degree in the field of engineering. The minimum term limit for experience, which is being moderated in terms of years, is seven. Before, it had been set at 14 or 15 years, but we are trying to bring it down. We also want young people who are coming from our educational institutions like colleges and universities to get opportunities. I hope there will come a time when, in the discussion about qualifications, a person will not be expected to have experience of a certain number of years. It is impractical for somebody who has come from university or college to be expected to have 15 years experience. The main emphasis should be the kind of educational qualifications. The same applies to those who will be working within the board. Unlike before, it will not be an issue of a Cabinet Secretary just picking anybody and putting him on the board. The Bill specifies that a person should hold a degree from a university recognised in Kenya, in fields such as engineering, physical sciences, law, finance, economics or energy, which is quite appropriate. This applies even for the members of the board. It also specifies that the Director- General should have proper qualifications. This will ensure that the institutions being created by this Bill are managed by people who know what they are doing, and not just by individuals appointed on the basis of political expediency. The other aspect that we also need to address is the fact that in this country, we have natural resources like water. We are generating hydro-electric power at the Kindaruma Dam. However, the people living in area where resources are found do not benefit. For instance, the Seven Forks Dam generates power for Nairobi, but the residents of that area live in darkness. We need to invest in such areas so that the locals can also benefit, particularly in areas where resource extraction takes place. The water that is generated by the Nolturesh-Loitoktok Water Company benefits people in Kajiado, Machakos and Nairobi, but members of the Maasai community living there do not get water. This necessitated putting traps in place so that the residents there could get water. The project design did not take into account the residents. The locals in those places should be taken into account so that they can also benefit. My colleagues have talked about environmental conservation, which is very important. In certain areas, unknown gases and chemicals are produced and emitted. Scientific studies should be conducted to ensure that the chemicals being produced are not harmful. Recently, the media ran a story about a certain village in the coastal region where residents were experiencing skin The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}