Entry Instance

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

{
    "id": 822665,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/822665/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 216,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "NLC. This is the case of Ruaraka Land saga. They easily inflate land because nobody is checking. There is no standard and so it becomes difficult. Madam Temporary Speaker, one of the things that county governments are losing land on is on property taxes because we do not have a standard. The advantage of doing this is that once it is imposed, it will be easy for county governments to collect tax. Why is the environment issue important? About a month ago, we travelled to Germany with Sen. Mwaura who talked about wind energy. In fact, in Germany, wind energy has given them more power than they need on the grid. There was a documentary last week on Citizen Television on the wind power project in Turkana. I am not sure why this wind power project stalled because it would have provided energy to the grid. Before they erect one of those wind power pylons, they put caveats where birds are to be affected. So, the questions of environment impact assessment, noise and radiation must be important. That is why I will move that amendment to make it mandatory. Similarly, they have stated in this Bill that there is a wayleaves section. Kenyans have become very adventurous about land. So, they have invaded land so that when power lines have to be done, they make it so difficult that they have to be paid for either trees or other things yet they have encroached on public land. Madam Temporary Speaker, Sen. Orengo did something called the Land Policy 2009 which we do not appreciate him for. However, if no one appreciates him for it, I will. It gives mandate to the NLC to do land use planning. This law talks about physical planning in the parts of the functions of county governments. It is against the policy signed by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. James Orengo. The only way to ensure that we can do some of these big projects is to have land use planning so that the minute we want to erect pylons that I have talked about, land is available. We are doing it the other way round. It would have been nice to have the Physical Planning Bill which we should amend when it comes on the Floor of the Senate so that these sections are clear. Madam Temporary Speaker, we must have an obligation on the quality control rates that I have talked about. That is why lawyer Apollo Mboya is important amongst the public for challenging tariffs by Kenya power Company. We must make it mandatory for the regulation of this sector. I have not seen it in this Bill. If it is there, that is fine. That way, we will not have the problem that he was trying to address. The clause on the county governments on the last page is important. I laud the drafters of this Bill for including it. The only problem is the fund contemplated under this Bill which does not fund that function. So, we must make it mandatory that the fund that is created by the Cabinet Secretary funds what is referred to in part (b) of functions of county governments; that is, facilitation of energy demand by planning for industrial parks; preparation and implementation of disaster management plans; county energy regulation; county energy planning, physical planning relating to energy sources; regulations of licensing; electricity and gas reticulation. How will counties do this from sharable revenue? We cannot burden county governments on sharable revenue on this function which is a national Government function. Madam Temporary Speaker, Senators have talked about solar energy. There is no section here on solar. It talks about renewable energy. They did not talk about solar. We The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}