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{
    "id": 710999,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/710999/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 110,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Wetangula",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 3036,
        "legal_name": "Timothy Wanyonyi Wetangula",
        "slug": "timothy-wanyonyi-wetangula"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker for giving me an opportunity to say something about this Motion. Climate change has very serious effects on the life and development of all creatures in the world. We have witnessed changes in temperatures and weather patterns occasioned by climate change phenomenon. Some time back, we used to have a predictable weather pattern. We knew what time the rains would come. However, nowadays we cannot predict correctly when it will rain. Even the weather people are unable to predict accurately the timings of the rains. This is because of climate change. The phenomenon has affecting everything in the universe. From this Report, I notice that this Agreement was adopted on 12th December, 2015 in Paris, France. Kenya became a signatory to this Agreement on 22nd April, 2016. Our Constitution provides, under Article 2(6), that any treaty or agreement ratified by Kenya becomes part of our laws. I believe that by us adopting the Committee’s Report for ratification of this Agreement, we will be making this convention part of our laws as it will be enshrined in our Constitution. The legislation that will be enacted in this august House will provide a legal framework for us to deal with environmental issues. We have had a very robust and articulate presentation by Hon. Ottichilo about issues of the environment. These are the things that we must be very clear about when debating this Bill. In this country, there is wanton destruction of the forest cover. Somebody said that we have recovered the Mau Forest. If you take a flight across the Mau forest, you will see the destruction that is still going on there. The Mau Forest is no longer there. The only indigenous forests in this country are Kakamega Forest and some parts of Mount Kenya Forest. We need to make sure that we do not destroy our environment, as Prof. Wangari Maathai would teach us. She used to tell us that nature was very unforgiving and that if we do not take care of it, it would have negative effects on us. We must rise to the occasion and control ourselves and ensure that we protect the forest cover. People in this country may not appreciate the vegetation and the negative effects that have been occasioned by the destruction of the environment, especially trees. In countries where there are no forests or any vegetation at all, the temperatures are too high that it is very dangerous for anybody to venture outside during the day. Everything in those countries is artificial. Everything is artificially controlled in those countries. In Kenya, we have the benefit of breathing natural air and planting crops using the natural environment that we take for granted. If we take the environment for granted and continue to destroy it, we will, one day, regret but it will be too late for us to salvage the situation. As we sometimes watch the wild beast migrate in the Maasai Mara, we must remember that this happens because of climate cycles. Many people come from all over the world to watch the migration of wild beasts. The animals know that at a particular time of the year they have to move to the other side of the Mara River to get pastures. If we do not control the environment, we might find ourselves losing those wild animals. The wild beasts bring us so much revenue. Therefore, we must be careful. Kenya is the host of the UN environmental agency, which is a great privilege. We must show the world that we are living up to this billing as we adopt and ratify this Agreement. Most of the things have been highlighted in this Report. As ably articulated by Hon. Ottichilo, this Agreement will bring a lot of benefits to this country. Once we adopt this Report and ratify the Agreement, we will have the mandate of providing a legal framework for dealing with climate change issues and the benefits that will come with the ratification of the Agreement, including financial benefits. All of us must support this Motion. 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."
}