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{
    "id": 640727,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/640727/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 167,
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    "content": "I wish to congratulate the Chairman and Members of the Mediation Committee for having agreed on the way forward and coming up with a mediated Bill. It may be recalled that one of our major concerns was the big role the Cabinet Secretary was going to play in this matter. In as much as the natural resources belong to the county governments, they had very little or no say whatsoever in what was to happen. In the history of the world today, it has been said that Africa, in terms of the natural resources and minerals, is the richest continent in the world followed by Russia or what used to be the USSR. Despite having the richest God-given resources in the world, it has not translated into development. Our resources have been exploited completely. Our continent has been raped, if I may use that word. In fact, we have read and seen films that have been created on how some of the resources in some African countries have become a curse. When oil or diamonds are discovered, one wonders whether it will be a curse or a benefit. A number of civil wars have been fought and deaths have occurred because of these natural resources. I thank Sen. Kivuti and his Committee for coming up with a progressive Bill that recognises that the resources belong to the community where they are found. The Bill also recognizes that we have county governments in place. It, therefore, recognizes the role of county governments, governors and the communities in which the resources are found. I was a member of the Select Committee that was chaired by Sen. (Dr.) Zani which toured some of the areas where mining has been taking place. We saw the poor state of the so-called miners in Taita-Taveta, Turkana and other counties. Our fear was that unless some legislation was put in place, people living in those areas would not benefit. I support and thank the Committee for coming up with this mediated Bill."
}