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{
    "id": 615602,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/615602/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 194,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Katoo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 199,
        "legal_name": "Judah Katoo Ole-Metito",
        "slug": "judah-ole-metito"
    },
    "content": "also provides for the creation and management of public, community and private forests and provides the variation of the boundaries or the revocation of the status of public forests as well as the declaration or reversal of provincial forests. The Constitution gives the State the leeway to vary a public land into a private land or vice-versa although with a laid-down procedure. So, even this Bill is outlining the procedure on how that variation from one category to the other should be done. There is also a provision for the exchange of forest areas for public forests where you may have a public land and you want it for purposes of---I will give an example of my good neighbour Hon. Jessica Mbalu. We border each other along the Chyulu Hills. At one point, it was community land but conversion was done to make it a forestry area for purposes of conserving wetlands like the Mzima Springs that is providing the whole county of Mombasa with clean drinking water. Without conserving the Chyulu Hills Forest, that water source would dry up. So, this provides for the conversion of community land into a forest for the benefit of the nation. The procedure for that is laid down. So, there is exchange of forest areas for forest land, establishment of arboretums and recreational parks within the forests, donation and bequest of forests and the declaration of nature. This is a reserve of the Cabinet Secretary (CS). I believe the relevant House Committee should look into it especially when it touches on conversion of community land into forestry areas. It is very good that we do not just leave that to the discretion of the CS. The people’s representatives must look into it for the interest of the people they represent. This is the heart of this Bill. That is why I was asking Hon. Members to look into it very seriously. It is both at the national and county levels. Part IV of the Bill also provides for the protection of tree species and the joint management of forests by the service and either community or the private owners of the forests. It is important to note that there are some tree species that are very important maybe for medicinal value. Those who have done botany will tell us very clearly the kind of tree species that are very important and why they deserve to be protected. Even in terms of animals, for instance wildlife, we always hear of endangered species. Some of the Big Five are being declared as endangered species. Even tree species that are very critical and important to this nation should be declared endangered species. This Bill explains ways of protecting those tree species especially indigenous and plantation forests. The Bill provides for occasioning of public forests and the requirement that such an agreement shall be ratified by Parliament. This is what I was saying. The Bill allows for the ratification of such agreements by Parliament. That is what I was talking about conversion of community land into forest land. Agreements where the Government enters into an agreement with a public, private or a community utility, ratification by Parliament is necessary. In this case, we are talking of Parliament because forests are both at the national and the county level. It is a Bill that will go to both Houses. That is why the Bill refers to Parliament and not just the National Assembly. The Bill also provides for the forest management agreement with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) especially on the requirement of obtaining the KFS consent to conduct quarrying operations in public forests. This country is moving towards real estate development in very big magnitude. That calls for demand of stones and bricks. You 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."
}