[Source: The Standard, by Jacinta Mutura]
Residents of Laikipia North yesterday stormed out of a meeting to protest proposed legislation on sand harvesting and quarry management.
The County Assembly Finance Committee had called for the public participation meeting in Doldol to discuss its plans to regulate the harvest and sale of sand.
Residents, who depend on sand sales from their various group ranches, demanded the withdrawal of the Sand Harvesting and Quarrying Bill and said they should be allowed to continue with the trade.
“Since the National Environment Management Authority regulates our harvesting, we don’t need this Bill to guide us on how to manage sand in our farms,” said Dickson Letair, the manager of Morupusi group ranch.
However, the Bill’s sponsor, Nominated MCA Peter Matunge, said they were seeking to remove the trade from the tight grip of group ranches, which he accused of oppressing the locals.
Matunge said he was frustrated that the residents were against the proposed legislation yet it sought to empower them by granting them a bigger say in the sand business.
The Bill also aims to guide harvesting patterns to stop environmental degradation during dry seasons.
It is estimated that the business earns the county government Sh60 million, the sand cooperative society collects Sh85 million, while individual group ranches pocket nearly Sh200 million yearly.
Finance Committee Chairman Joseph Kiguru said several public participation meetings had been held in many parts of the country, adding that they would continue to lobby for the Bill’s approval.
[Full article: The Standard, by Jacinta Mutura]
