Review Bill, analyst tells Parliament
Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala during a cabinet retreat in Nanyuki on March 5, 2014. A public policy analyst Mr Kiema Mwandia has urged Members of Parliament to review the Mining Bill 2014 proposed by Mr Balala, which the lawmakers began debating last week. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | FILE
What you need to know:
- The analyst said the Bill has provisions that give more powers to the Cabinet Secretary and this could lead to compulsory acquisitions of land from communities that have limited access to legal redress.
- In a memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources that is chaired by Nominated MP Amina Abdalla, Mr Mwandia wants the Bill to be set aside for more consultations to take place with stakeholders.
A public policy analyst wants the proposed Mining Bill 2014 overhauled to protect communities.
Mr Kiema Mwandia urged Members of Parliament to review the Bill proposed by Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, which the lawmakers began debating last week.
The analyst said the Bill has provisions that give more powers to the Cabinet Secretary and this could lead to compulsory acquisitions of land from communities that have limited access to legal redress. Mr Mwandia said that the Bill has gaps that are likely to condone corruption while overlooking the violation of human rights.
MORE CONSULTATIONS
In a memorandum to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources that is chaired by Nominated MP Amina Abdalla, Mr Mwandia wants the Bill to be set aside for more consultations to take place with stakeholders.
“Parliament should put public interest first. We need a law that will promote transparency and accountability in mining. This will benefit more people,” he said.
The Bill as it stands, Mr Mwandia said, obliges communities to consent to a given project.
