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{
    "id": 1009609,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1009609/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 306,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kilifi North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Owen Baya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13373,
        "legal_name": "Owen Yaa Baya",
        "slug": "owen-yaa-baya"
    },
    "content": "Committee on Lands. I want to thank the Chair and the Mover for what they said. However, one of the things that happens is that sometimes the Government buys land… I have a case in my constituency at a place called Watamu Plot No. 28 where the Government bought land to settle people. This land was not registered and so no title was issued. So, a private developer went to the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning and changed the land ownership and removed the caveats that were placed by the Government and started owning the land. He went back and told the people of Watamu that they needed to move out of that land. These people have never known any other method of earning a living apart from fishing. Moreover, they are next to the beach. Now you want to move them and settle them in the hinterland. The Bajuni Community that is known for fishing is now being told that they need to move and go into farms. The Government was generous enough to understand the economic activity of these people and therefore bought the land. Now this land is gone. Why? This is because there was no vesting of this land to the local people. Therefore, it is very important as Hon. Ichung'wah said, that land needs to be vested, but to who? Is it to the county government or to the National Treasury so that we know who owns the land on behalf of a registered group? We have a catastrophe in Watamu because a whole heritage of people called Bajuni must be removed from their land because a private developer took advantage of that inaction by the Government and now the land is gone. You even have land which the Government bought to construct a dispensary in the same area, but someone has now gone to court to say, 'bring down the dispensary.' We have landing sites which are actually public land and public beaches in my constituency, yet today people are saying, 'bring down the dispensary in Watamu or doctor’s house in Watamu' because someone else has taken that land. We have what we call the Red Brick House Beach in Kilifi, Mnarani. Today, a private developer has acquired a title deed for the same. Why? Because the land was declared a public beach, but today someone has a title on the same. They are saying people should not step on it; you are trespassing on what used to be public land because of lack of vesting. Therefore, this law is handy. I just hope the Government now will do something in retrospect. Those people who have grabbed public land must that…"
}