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"id": 93328,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/93328/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Otichilo",
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"speaker": {
"id": 131,
"legal_name": "Wilber Ottichilo Khasilwa",
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"content": "I also want to say that departments in the Ministry, particularly the Meteorological Department, and the Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing, are doing a credible job. Unfortunately, these being scientific departments, they are not understood. I wish to ask the Minister to find ways and means of ensuring that the scientific information collected by these two departments is disseminated to the people in a simpler manner, particularly when it comes to weather forecasting and information. For example, the Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing, has collected a lot of information on the environment since 1977. Unfortunately, this information is not used. It has just been archived. It is just not used adequately. I would like to ask the Minister to find ways and means of working closely with the officers in the Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing, so that this information can be used for planning across the board. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to note that the Ministry, through the Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing, has acquired a state-of-the-art Cessna aircraft, which is able to do a lot of mapping. I would like to give my congratulations to the Minister. I am aware of the equipment in that aircraft. That aircraft can do a lot of work. It is a big investment, and I want to urge the Minister to make use of that investment, particularly the equipment installed in that aircraft. The Ministry has allocated over Kshs2 billion for the conservation of our water catchment areas. These are very critical areas for this country. The conservation of these areas is mandatory. So, I want to request the Minister to use this money very effectively, so that we can restore some of our water catchment areas that have been degraded. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, on the issue of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme, I want to say that the first phase of the programme was not successful. Most of the money was used on workshops, where people just sat and talked. We want to see action in the second phase of the programme. In this regard, I would like the Minister to involve area Members of Parliament and other leaders, particularly those who live around Lake Victoria, so that we can participate and ensure that your technocrats do not use the programmeâs money on seminars and workshops. I also want to commend the Minister for coming up with a programme for Mount Elgon, which has been highly degraded due to haphazard settlement of people in that area. I believe that the Kshs51 million that the Ministry has will be able to rehabilitate some of the areas. I also wish to express my concern on the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The NEMA is an institution which was created to co-ordinate environmental issues in this country, but I want to support the sentiments made by some of my colleagues that the NEMA has not lived to our expectation. The Authority has not done what we expected it to do. In this regard, I wish to ask the Minister to look into ways and means of building new capacity for the NEMA, particularly in the Authorityâs management and the kind of personnel he needs to take to the Authority, so that we can see the Authority doing the work it is supposed to do. So, that is an area I would like the Minister to take very seriously. As you have heard, there are a lot of problems when it comes to environmental impact assessment, and environmental audits. Some of the reports that are published are questionable. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, finally, I want to talk about the issue of climate change. I want to commend the Ministry for what it has done, particularly in coming up with the National Climate Change Strategy. What I would like to see is this strategy being implemented. Kenya is notorious for coming up with very good documents. However, after we prepare such documents, we put them on the shelves to gather dust. This particular strategy is good, and I want it implemented. I would also like your Ministryâs Departments of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing and Environmental Management and Protection to start working on climate change legislation. We should not wait. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}