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{
    "id": 797762,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/797762/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 136,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwangi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 75,
        "legal_name": "Ephraim Mwangi Maina",
        "slug": "ephraim-maina"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am going to issue a statement on this one. Over the years, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry through the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has established that there are serious encroachments on the riparian reserves of the rivers within the Nairobi City County and other urban areas in the country. In some occasions, paths of these rivers are deliberately diverted from the natural course. Some portions are reclaimed for informal settlement while other sections are narrowed hampering smooth flow of the river. During heavy rains, there are looming flood disasters within proximity of some paths of the rivers. The encroachment activities are very well-coordinated and achieved by intentional dumping of excavated materials from various construction sites within the city. The dumping is done to create more land for construction and upcoming informal structures. In other instances, developers deliberately put up structures on riparian reserves in violation of the laws and regulations on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license conditions. To address such incidences that would likely lead to severe impacts on the environment and the lives of the urban dwellers, the NEMA and lead agencies have undertaken several interventions as follows. A multisectoral agency team was formed in 2016 to check on the encroachment of riparian reserves by illegal developers and demolish illegal structures and unsafe buildings. The multi-sectoral team is chaired by the Secretary of the National Building Inspectorate, Nairobi, in the State Department of Housing and Development, and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), is a member. Since its inception, the team has audited 4,901 buildings countrywide according to its January, 2018 Report. Some of the developments have encroached on the riparian reserve and have been earmarked for demolition. NEMA has spearheaded the development of national harmonized riparian reserves for various water bodies in Kenya. NEMA has continued to license new developments and given them a condition requiring that a minimum riparian reserve of 6 metres and a minimum of 30 metres is allowed for development near rivers based on the highest record flood flow. NEMA Environmental Inspectors periodically conduct on-site inspections to ensure compliance with the set standards, guidelines and license conditions. I wish to confirm that the Government has several laws on the protection and management of riparian reserves including Environmental Management and Coordination Act, Cap 387 (EMCA), the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Water Quality) Regulations, 2006, the Water Act 2002, the Surveys Act, Cap 299, the Agriculture Act, Cap 318, the Physical Planning Act, Cap 286 and the Water Resources Management Rules, 2007. The various legislations on riparian zone protection are executed by different Ministries, departments and authorities. The legislations have varying provisions as indicated in the table."
}