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{
    "id": 1003410,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1003410/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 28,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwaruma",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13223,
        "legal_name": "Johnes Mwashushe Mwaruma",
        "slug": "johnes-mwashushe-mwaruma"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this opportunity you have given me to weigh in on this Petition that has got to do with Government institutions taking away land from communities without due consideration of the law. We have a similar situation in Isiolo. I am in the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources and we visited Isiolo. When we were asking questions to the KDF on how they acquired land belonging to residents of Ngaremara, they told us that there is a gazette notice or the Government gazetted land and gave it to the KDF. I have been asking myself whether that is the only way the Government can acquire land from people; using a simple gazette notice. What about the residents who are living there? What is their plight? Where do you expect them to go? There is a law guiding compulsory acquisition of land by Government institutions. That law is there and must be followed. The plight of the people must be addressed. In Isiolo, over 50,000 people are facing eviction because KDF has acquired land from people. The same applies to the petitioners who have just petitioned. Even in my county, we have the Prison Service gazetting 900 acres of land and giving it to the prison department without the due consideration of the people who are living around there. The Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources, where I sit, must work very hard to assist the petitioners get their right to land. If they are not going to remain there, then they should be given alternative land. My only problem is that the Cabinet Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning and the Cabinet Secretary for Defence are playing hide and seek. They and the NLC are not answering to our questions. The NLC is mandated to protect community interests. I support this Petition, and from our Committee, we will work hard and apply ourselves judiciously to make sure that the people who have petitioned get their rights. I thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}