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"id": 947143,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kanduyi, FORD-K",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Wafula Wamunyinyi",
"speaker": {
"id": 291,
"legal_name": "Athanas Misiko Wafula Wamunyinyi",
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"content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to also contribute to this Report by the Committee in regard to the degazettement of a section of the forest in Mount Elgon. At the outset, I would like to state that I am, indeed, sensitive to the matter of the forest in Mount Elgon because, as you are aware, Mount Elgon is found in Bungoma and I am a major stakeholder in Bungoma - apart from being one of the Members of Parliament. The issue before the House attempts to resolve various historical problems ranging from security, deforestation, abuse and so on. It is some idea which the Government came up with through the Ministry. Like the Whip, Hon. Washiali, has said, this is a unique matter. It is very rare for the Government to petition the House. It is not normally easy. This is one of the rare cases where a Petition has been filed by a Government Ministry and Department. I have looked at the recommendations that have been made by the Committee. I have had to look at the Report and, because of time, I want to narrow down to the recommendations that have been made. First, you will note that this Report does not clearly - although the content and submissions are there - provide the findings. As a resident of Bungoma, I am aware that there has been serious destruction of the forest and particularly the indigenous trees. In many parts, particularly Cheptais Sub-County, through the infamous politically instigated shamba system, there has been serious destruction of indigenous trees. The Elgon Teak has been cut down. People have had to grow food and various crops within the forest and, in return, they have been asked to plant cypress trees. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, you and I know cypress trees cannot be a replacement for indigenous trees. This has continued. They are not even talking about it in this Report. I agree with Recommendation (2). It says: “The Government should properly secure the remaining forest area within Mount Elgon Forest Reserve particularly in Chepkitale; considering the need to achieve the United Nation’s recommended 10 per cent forest cover in the country.” The first recommendation is talking about 4,607 hectares. In the second recommendation, there is no mention of the size of the forest to be secured. It becomes ambiguous. This is where I have a problem. If you look at what has been provided… I thought, maybe, I should propose some amendments to this Report so that it covers specific actions to be undertaken so as to protect the forest. It should have even come up with a recommendation that in all areas where indigenous trees have been cut down, they need to be planted and the shamba system be done away with. As we speak, some rivers are drying downstream. The levels of water in the rivers from Mount Elgon are diminishing and, if there is no effort to take care of the forest, we are going to lose out so much. The Committee has acted on a Petition. It has done its work to bring a Report to the House. If we are not careful, this will be another Mau Summit conflict that we are trying to create in Bungoma. I can tell you that the area we are talking about of Chepkitale is about 20,000 hectares, which is not mentioned in the recommendations. Hon. Washiali attempted to explain how this will be covered. It was previously occupied by the Dorobo. It ought to have been a community forest held in trust for the Dorobos of Mt. Elgon. You are not solving the problem by degazetting it. There are people called the Dorobo currently living in that forest. You are not doing this for the Sabaot Land Defense Forces (SLDF). The SLDF are also in the forest. If you think by degazetting you are solving the problem, you might even be aggravating it further. I call for caution as we deal with this issue. It is a very emotive issue, particularly for the communities in Mt. Elgon. Unfortunately, my brother, Hon. Kapondi, is not here. This is a very 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."
}