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{
    "id": 909981,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/909981/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 748,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Maara, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kareke Mbiuki",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 79,
        "legal_name": "Japhet M. Kareke Mbiuki",
        "slug": "japhet-kareke-mbiuki"
    },
    "content": "that is providing quality raw materials for construction and manufacturing and construction of processing units which contribute to universal healthcare, food security as well as industrialisation. In the Ministry of Mining, there is manufacturing through promotion and regulation of production of raw materials such as gypsum, limestone, iron ore, manganese, titanium, copper, salt phosphate and carbon dioxide. The sector has a total proposed allocation of Kshs88.92 billion out of which Kshs24.13 billion is Recurrent Expenditure while Kshs64.79 billion is Development Expenditure. The Committee, having scrutinised and reviewed the proposed allocation, observed that the allocations provided for some projects under the sector are not in tandem with the project requirements and targets as well as the minimal funds allocated are likely to lead to low output, missed targets as well as the appropriation of funds. Under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, there is the National Tree Planting Campaign which is a presidential directive aimed at achieving the 10 per cent forest cover by 2022. It has a proposed allocation of Kshs1 billion in the 2019/2020 Financial Year under the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The Committee recommends that the Exchequer is released in a timely way to avoid missed targets especially during the rainy season. We have seen a haphazard release of the Exchequer by the National Treasury to the various MDAs. Under this critical programme of the National Tree Planting Campaign, we humbly request the National Treasury to release the funds in an extremely timely way so that this programme can be successful, especially during the rainy season because it may be pointless to release the funds when there are no rains. In addition, the Committee recommends that the National Tree Planting Campaign should not be undertaken by the Ministry headquarters and that the activity should be carried out by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) through the Community Forest Associations, the Kenya Water Towers Agency as well as the Kenya Forest Research Institute. What was initially proposed was for this money to be expended at the headquarters. As a Committee, we noted that the Ministry Headquarters has no capacity to absorb or administer these funds. Instead, out of Kshs1 billion, we recommended that the Ministry should retain Kshs100 million for co-ordination and the rest distributed to the various agencies within the Ministry. The Committee further noted that the ban on commercial plantation logging has seriously affected the A-i-A collection by the KFS. It was further noted that the aging trees with a lifespan of between 25 and 30 years are dying or wasting away in the forests rather than being sold and A-i-A collected. The Ministry needs to consider lifting the ban or the moratorium on forest logging to increase the KFS A-i-A, and to collect funds to restore the graded forest areas as well as carry out the operation within the Service rather than fully rely on the Exchequer. On this one, we found it a bit ironic because the information which was shared by the Ministry of Environment is that they have already classified various blocks within KFS where they have aged trees. It does not make sense when all these trees are rotting out there whereas the Ministry or the KFS - the State Agency - is struggling and is in need of Exchequer. The KFS desperately needs to recruit new rangers but the same has not been provided for by the Exchequer. That is why we have petitioned the Ministry Headquarters to lift the ban or the moratorium which was placed on commercial forest harvesting. The scrapping of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) fee has led to reduction in A-i-A that is collected by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The 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."
}