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{
    "id": 802116,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/802116/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 173,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Mbiuki",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 79,
        "legal_name": "Japhet M. Kareke Mbiuki",
        "slug": "japhet-kareke-mbiuki"
    },
    "content": "Act, 2016. At the same time, we are seeking to ensure that the NWHSA is properly reformed and its mandate is properly undertaken. The Northern Water Services Board covers a large area of the North Eastern, part of Rift Valley and the Upper Eastern. Since it does not attract donor funding for projects, the Committee recommends initiation of government-funded water harvesting projects to improve access to safe water in the northern dry areas, for which I really want to thank the Budget and Appropriations Committee for approving a further funding of Kshs200 million to the board to take care of the dry areas. Under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Committee observed that the country has a forest cover of about 7 per cent, which is under threat of degradation. As such, the Kenya Forest Service Protection Unit is grossly underfunded as well as understaffed, with a ratio of one forest ranger covering 1,000 hectares of forest against the best practice of one forest ranger to 400 hectares. To protect the current forest cover effectively, the Service requires an additional 1,500 forest rangers, which unfortunately has not been provided for. The President, while launching the national tree planting day 2018, emphasised that the country must meet the 10 per cent tree cover by 2022. However, the current seedling production is below the expected 360 million per year required to raise the tree cover to 10 per cent by 2022. In order to achieve the President’s target, additional financing is required. You will realise that the Government came up with a taskforce which made the recommendation that the country needs to achieve the 10 per cent tree cover by 2022. Unfortunately, we are having four financial years and this being the most critical financial year in which we need to have adequate funding, we have extremely low funding to the tune of only Kshs28 million against the expected Kshs360 million. With the effect and impact of climate change, there is need to invest in better and modern weather forecasting and early warning system to give the Kenya Meteorological Department the capability to give accurate information on future erratic weather patterns to ensure effective adaptation and mitigation measures, especially to avoid the damages caused by the flooding experienced in the country. The State Department of Mining, with a budgetary allocation of Kshs1.6 billion out of which the development budget is only Kshs509 million, is grossly underfunded. The department is currently contributing 0.9 per cent of our GDP, which is expected to increase by 10 per cent by 2030. The mining sector is also the highest potential revenue earner for the country and its target revenue collection is Kshs2.5 billion for the FY 2018/2019 from royalties. The Committee noted that with enhanced funding the State department has the potential to achieve the 10 per cent GDP target before the year 2030. An allocation of Kshs2 billion, which is a loan from the China Exim Bank, to undertake the national airborne geographical survey, was withdrawn from the State department’s budget. Carrying out its activities is one of the flagship projects under the Vision 2030 and it is very crucial because it will help map out potential minerals in the country. As a Committee, we are at a loss because this particular process of the airborne geographical survey was started during the era of CS Najib Balala and the Government has gone ahead and secured more than Kshs7 billion funding from the Exim Bank. Unfortunately, the same is not being factored in the budget. There is need to allocate Kshs200 million for the purchase of land for medical and hazardous waste recycling facility. The Government of Japan may withdraw the support of Kshs1.2 billion to construct the facility once the Government of Kenya acquires the land. To be able to manage the hazardous medical waste, the Kenya Government has secured Kshs1.2 billion The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposes only. Acertified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}