Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 711052,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/711052/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 163,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Onyura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12833,
        "legal_name": "Michael Aringo Onyura",
        "slug": "michael-aringo-onyura"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. I support this Motion fully and wholeheartedly. Listening to Hon. Kang’ata speaking, he reminded me of one Donald Trump. He is the only other person who is living in denial and saying that global warming and climate change are a hoax. But even Trump is now starting to go slow on some of the crazy ideas and pronouncements that he was making, and saying that there could be validity in certain aspects of these areas. I was just imagining, based on what Hon. Kang’ata was saying, that we can then ask people to rush to Mau Forest and start felling trees for charcoal; rush into Karura forest and start cutting down trees for timber, because they will then make a few shillings. That is an extremely narrow-minded view. It is good that we as Kenyans are supporting the ratification of this Agreement, and rightly so because we are the ones hosting UNEP. If anything, these are some of the things that UNEP has been fighting for all these years. We are also the land of the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, and these are the things that concern degradation of the environment that she fought against throughout her life, at times at great physical and psychological pain. By ratifying this Agreement, we as Kenyans join other progressive countries to show and make sure that we protect the environment. One other thing that needs to be highlighted is the issue of awareness of our population regarding matters environment, starting right from the schools and even ordinary citizens. At times due to lack of information, knowledge and awareness, you will find that certain activities that result in environmental degradation are done. We need to invest a lot in terms of campaigns for awareness and research. We need to encourage activities that will protect and upgrade the environment in our own small ways. I will be launching a programme to encourage the youth to plant trees and certain crops that protect rivers and springs. We want to plant plants like bamboo on riversides and springs. I also want to encourage NEMA to be firm when it comes to issues that affect the environment. It is sad to find that development projects are allowed to be implemented on riparian lands near rivers, which eventually affect the environment. Only activities that will aid protection of the environment should take place in such areas. We used to have a programme on mitigation of soil erosion. I do not know what happened to it. An hon. Member talked about it. The unpredictable weather patterns that we are experiencing are a result of environmental degradation. We should also encourage use of clean energy as part of our contribution towards a 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."
}