Josephat Nanok

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 631 to 640 of 756.

• 16 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I want to join my colleagues who have spoken before me in congratulating the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for presenting to Kenyans a Budget that to the extreme has devolved Government revenue down to the grassroots. I say this because this is the first time that we, who represent areas that have always been marginally under-represented, feel that we have been equitably allocated resources alongside all the other areas that have always been benefiting from Government revenue which is generated ... view
• 16 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Secondly, I know that there have always been about 14 devolved funds which are managed differently and I can see from this Budget that more of the funds have been devolved I think there is need to harmonize all these funds so that, at least, we can also cut down the administrative costs. I guess that is an area which the Minister has to look into. All these devolved funds will have an administrative cost and as such the Minister needs to find ways of putting them under one framework so that we can cut down on the administrative costs. ... view
• 16 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: I would also like to advise the Minister that although funds are being devolved, we have fears that a bigger percentage of these funds could be brought towards the end of the financial year, which means that constituencies may not have the capacity to implement projects within two or three weeks. But if we can develop together a quarterly basis of disbursing and monitoring those funds, I think it can easily help much more on the ground. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, an amount of Kshs2.2 billion has been allocated to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and that is laudable. ... view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) Yes, I confirm that only M/s. Comply, M/s. Timsales and M/s. Raiply conduct tree harvesting activities in the forests in Koibatek and that local saw millers are not licensed to do so. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is because the three firms were exempted from the forest ban imposed in 1999 on the premise that they will provide value -added products such as wood panels, fibre boards and wood laminates that would have to be imported. The companies employ a large workforce and are involved in replanting of the areas they clear. My ... view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me mention to Mr. Lessonet that we are not unfair. Let me also state that so far, we have about 38,000 hectares of mature commercial plantations that are due for harvesting. We have put in a request to the Cabinet so that the ban is lifted. Right now, we have placed a management plan through the Cabinet. This is to plan on how we can be able to replant the 38,000 hectares in the view that it will be harvested. We hope that many more saw millers will qualify to harvest the trees once the ban ... view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, when the ban was put in place in 1999, I think it was as a result of destruction of forests which had resulted into a huge percentage of forest land going down. However, the Government of that day agreed to maintain the three main saw millers and Pan African Paper Mills since they had value addition. Secondly, they invested in technology and the Government had 90 per cent recovery. With regard to the second part of his question, I want to deny that the Government has been unfair to the other saw millers. view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, all the three companies belong to what is famously called the Rai Group. As I said, the Government of that day, which Mr. Lesrima was serving, is the one that gave those companies the right to harvest the trees. view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. First of all, I want to correct the fact that I was referring to Mr. Musa Sirma and not Mr. Lesrima. Secondly, just to state clearly, the four companies which have been given the harvesting rights since the ban was imposed are only harvesting an average of about 5, 000 hectares annually. We have 38,000 hectares which have matured and are ready for harvesting. view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think he was a Member of the party that had formed the Government at that time! view
• 9 Jun 2009 in National Assembly: That is an easy one, Mr. Speaker, Sir. In the Board of Directors of the Kenya Forestry Service, there is a representative of the private sector who is a representative of saw millers. That is the reason why one of the directors is involved in this. view