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{
    "id": 640756,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/640756/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 196,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "March 29, 2016 SENATE DEBATES 29 Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Kivuti, I would like to reply. I have been encouraged by the fantastic contributions of Senators and their interest. Sen. Musila has just completed by explaining to us the complex challenges that people face. When he goes back home and tells people that coal has been discovered and the Government will start mining it the following week, but it takes five years for that to happen, it dents his reputation as a politician and leader because people anticipate jobs and prosperity. The same applies to Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo. For about five years, the people of West Pokot County have been waiting for a cement factory to be established there. Somebody acquired the licence, but had no interest or capacity to do the mining. One of the most embarrassing things for a political leader is launching. You hold big meetings where the Head of State comes and everyone claps and is happy. Some people even give you their Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) only for the company that was supposed to do the mining to become a sham. What happened in Kitui and West Pokot are some of the cases that we need to bring to an end by ensuring that some unscrupulous characters pretending to be persons with the capacity to mine do not hold licences. When Cabinet Secretary, Hon. Balala, cancelled some licences, a confused blogger who writes a lot of things on Facebook and Twitter and insults people left, right and centre, complained that he held a licence for a particular company. We know very well that he is a middleman or broker, who has absolutely no capacity to mine anything, except to write useless things on social media. You will meet somebody who does not have the knowledge about coal, gold or any other minerals telling you that they have a licence. Therefore, the transparency will ensure that the right people are given licences. It is important to remind Kenyans that the Act states that minerals are not owned by individuals; they are the property of the Republic of Kenya. It is emphasised by the Constitution and Clause 6 of this Bill, which states that: - “All minerals in their natural state which are under the river, lake, stream, water course, land or exclusive economic zones are the property of the Republic and vested in the national Government in trust for the people of Kenya.” People wonder why there is compulsory acquisition. If someone has his or her own plot, they can be told to vacate and be compensated. Someone else will then be licensed to mine the minerals on behalf and for the benefit of the people of Kenya. Yesterday, I saw the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure talking about the desire for us to have in mind public interest. There is too much personal enrichment; people bragging of owning this or that, forgetting that natural resources such as minerals are the property of the people of Kenya. I need to remind the person who owns the licence to mine fluorspar in Kerio Valley that he cannot pretend and tell us that he has a company. He needs to be reminded that it is the property of the people of Kenya. He is holding that licence and mining in trust for the benefit of the people of Kenya. Therefore, it is important that the local community where the natural resources are being mined benefit from this activity. If it is Kerio Valley, the people around Kimwarer, Soi North and Soi South should be the first beneficiaries of that mining. If we are doing it in trust and dealing with these resources as the property of the people of Kenya, how much more must we be careful in dealing with the local community around that place? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes"
}