By Our Reporter
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining led by David Gikaria (Nakuru Town East) yesterday hosted their counterparts from the Environment Committee of the Parliament of Finland where they exchanged insights on their experiences and challenges encountered by their respective Committees.
The Finish delegation led by the committee chairperson Jenni Pitko together with Pauli Aalto and Ambassador Pirkka Tapiola took their time to inform their Kenyan counterparts the need to push for clean environment through legislation and also encourage renewable energy to a bigger percentage.
“Hon. Members, today as we speak, Finland is largely covered by two forests on the upper and the lower side, our Government is encouraging renewable energy to a larger extent and also other forms of clean energy that are aimed at encouraging a clean environment,” they said.
They also revealed the efforts made by the Finish Government to help develop the Turkana Wind Power and other renewable energy sub-stations in the Country.
On his part, Gikaria took the team through a number of legislations done by his committee through the National Assembly.
They included several Bills like the Climate Change Amendment Bill, 2023, the Natural Resource (Benefit Sharing) Bill, the Mining (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which he sponsored, the Gold Processing Bill and the Environmental Management and Coordination (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
“Kenya has put in place verous Climate Change adaptation mechanisms, in environmental sector for example, we intend to plant 15 billion trees in the next 10 years to support Climate Change adaptation in verous parts of the Country,” Gikaria added.
Members of the committee Charles Kamuren (Baringo South) and Mwanyanje Mbeyu (Kilifi) emphasised on the government’s efforts to engage the youths and schools going children to realise the 22 per cent forest cover in county.
After their meeting with the Finish delegation, later the committee deliberated their report on Budget Policy Statements presented before them from the verious State Agencies before presenting to the Budget Committee.