Rt. Hon. Dr. Moses Francis Masaka Wetangula, Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, has urged governments to constantly equip parliamentarians through workshops and financing to keep abreast of environmental matters.
Wetangula said this while giving a key note address on environment, climate change, and the role of Parliament at the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth( CSPOC 2024) at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.
“We need to pass laws, particularly in countries that are water-secure, to protect your heritage. You can only do so by having a proper legal framework,” Wetangula said.
He echoed that whoever pollutes the environment must pay, and he added that unfortunately, the polluters are paying themselves through the harvesting of carbon credit proceeds.
Wetangula called upon Parliamentarians to be on guard and alert in order to protect the environment. He also criticized the United Kingdom (UK) for mobilizing some countries to boycott CSPOC, yet according to the history of the Commonwealth, they are bound by the UK, which is the umbilical code.
“I wonder whether it is prudent to give a privilege to such a country to host another conference; you cannot eat your cake and have it,” Wetangula said.
He added that the poorer Commonwealth or countries should continue supplicating themselves on members who want to continue playing hot and cold on Commonwealth members.
“Even if we don’t agree, it is prudent to meet like we are doing and talk out issues. A country that has boycotted a conference should not be allowed to host the same conference it has boycotted, and I would like to request that we rethink the offer from those offending members,” added Wetangula.
43 speakers had confirmed attendance, but a total of 33 speakers and presiding officers made it to the conference.
