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{
    "id": 948791,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/948791/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 373,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "I, therefore, encourage Sen. Kasanga that because Motions in themselves are only persuasive in nature, she would want to present amendments to the various legislations regarding forest management. That way, we can occasion a situation where these associations are resident within the architecture of such endeavours. I also encourage Sen. Kasanga to be very clear in terms of the representation, because representation is inclusion. It should reflect the diversity of the people, starting with the communities that live within the forests. For example, myth has it that the Kikuyus wished to be very tall people, so they intermarried with the Gunda people, who were living in the forests of Central Kenya; and their height actually reduced. I wonder whether we increased horizontally. All I am saying is that there is urgency in ensuring that the committees that live in the forest must be provided for. Madam Temporary Speaker, with the huge timber industry, it is very easy for the forest communities to be disadvantaged and disenfranchised. We know the kind of politics that we have in a country that is anchored around ethnicity. It is important to take into account the contributions of the people who have the expertise in environmental matters, so that it does not become another committee for politicking. The committee should have expertise and we need to provide for that, so that we are able to leverage on that kind of representation. This is because our political process sometimes seems to produce riff-raff hoodlums, who are creating regression on our progression. This happens because of issues of lack of direction, motivation and even vision of what we envisage with regards to these community forest associations. Madam Temporary Speaker, without a doubt, we also need to use this platform, if so created, to help us to manage water resources which emanate from forests. The mist from forest drop down from percolating leaves and they form small streams, which then join to become tributaries, which eventually become rivers. That is just a beautiful way of looking at it, because we are struggling with lack of water when doing road construction. There is a lot of tension on Kiambu County around the contractors who are constructing the Waiyaki Way. This is because they are taking one million litres of water per day, which is disadvantaging the people of Kiambu County. Water is a critical resource that comes from the forests. We are all aware of the debate around Muranga and Nairobi The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}