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{
    "id": 998507,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/998507/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 1457,
    "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": "Ksh4.6 billion expected to be achieved through the park fees by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). However, due to the COVID-19 situation, and bearing in mind that KWS earns its A-in-A through park fees, it may not be really tenable to achieve this. This shortfall will really affect KWS operations because those are monies which are expected for personnel emoluments, operation and maintenance activities and issues of human-wildlife conflicts. Arising from the above where KWS may not realize its projected A-in-A collection, there is a likelihood of a shortfall of Kshs3.68 billion. It is, therefore, very critical that the National Treasury provides KWS with funds to cater for this shortfall. We have a State Department of Mining which has a very big potential of more than Kshs500 billion in terms of A-in-A in a financial year. Despite it be under-funded the Department could only contribute Kshs1.6 billion to our economy. I am happy that Hon. Mwashako has sought a Statement because we realized quite a number of people who have been given licences to explore our natural resources are not doing so. Whatever they disclose to the Ministry is not satisfactory. Sometimes, it sounds ironical when you look at an entire State Department having a development vote of only Kshs300 million. You really wonder if it is worth becoming a state department or not. Bearing in mind it started as a stand-alone Ministry of Mining and later it was downgraded to a state department, it is grossly under-funded. Nevertheless, this State Department has very big potential. We are calling upon them to seal up any regulatory gaps which may be there and have been denying it A-in-A collection due to under-declaration by the mining companies. When you come to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, we had a Presidential Directive of achieving 10 per cent tree cover by 2022. But it is also equally ironical that the National Treasury under the 2020/2021 Financial Year has allocated the Ministry of Environment and Forestry only Kshs240 million, whereas it had a projection of Kshs5 billion. Sometimes, the Government is just doing public relations because it is not able to walk the talk. It does not make sense when there is a Presidential Directive that is not followed by the National Treasury. We are in the era of COVID-19 and while seated here, we are all wearing masks. This is creating a lot of medical waste from face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) across the country. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) requested for approximately Kshs470 million to come up with incinerators across the entire country. The same has not been provided. We sought the support of the Budget and Appropriations Committee to ensure we come up with measures on how to address the bio-medical waste which is emanating out of the COVID-19 PPEs. Likewise, under NEMA, we also requested that their Environmental Impact Assessment Fees be necessitated. Since the Government withdrew A-in-A for NEMA, it has never stood on its own feet again. It has been relying on the National Treasury Exchequer. What we are calling for - and we have the support of the parent Ministry - is for the National Treasury to reinstate A-in-A which NEMA used to collect so that it can be independent and undertake its mandate effectively. Coming to the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, I want to thank the National Treasury because it has gone out of its way to give reasonable funding, irrespective of the current situation. We realized we have quite a number of programmes which are low hanging fruits in our backyard like the National Water Harvesting and Storage Programme, the Cross-County Water Programme as well as National Expanded Irrigation Programme. Under the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, I want to thank the National Treasury because it has given them an extra Kshs2.6 billion to expand irrigation in the country. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}