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{
"id": 1019347,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1019347/?format=api",
"text_counter": 61,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Konoin, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Leonard Yegon",
"speaker": {
"id": 13391,
"legal_name": "Yegon Brighton Leonard",
"slug": "yegon-brighton-leonard"
},
"content": "THAT, the said land appropriation led to the banning of huts, scattering of livestock and destruction of granaries with the assistance of the colonial government in total disregard of the local people’s rights of occupancy, possession and ownership; THAT, under the Resident Labourers Ordinance of 1937, the local Kipsigis people were systematically moved and settled into various estates as squatter labourers whereby every resident aged over 16 years was compelled to sign contracts having restrictive terms in order to remain in the land and provide labour for the estates; THAT, most of the people living in the adjacent villages of Changana, Marinyin, Chemasingi, Chepkoiben, Matuta, Bondet, Cheymen, Timbilil, Ketumbe and Chepchabas villages were moved to the designated areas at the periphery of their respective villages in line with the said ordinance and for fear of losing their ancestral land, most of the squatters put their thumbprints and contracts that bound them to remain on two acres of land, keep limited livestock and provide labour for at least 300 days per year for as little as Kshs24 per annum; THAT, in 1952, over 88 families and residents of Kimulot were violently evicted from their land totalling 5,183 acres to create more land for Kimulot Tea Company, with majority of them getting incorporated as squatters under the same ordinance; THAT, with the outlawing of squatting, many squatters were expelled from the land after the APHC issued a letter in 1961 to the effect that no licence would be renewed upon the demise of the original squatters, and further identified 214 squatter families from Chebitet, Chemasingi, Simotwet, Chepgoiben, Dimbolil, Tiluet, Kaproret, Chemamul, Marinyin and Masobet Estates for removal from their land; THAT, in December 1974, the APHC hived off 600 acres from the Kimulot land LR No.8804/1 earmarked for sale to these squatters who had been organized into the Chepchabas Farmers’ Cooperative Society at Kshs185 per acre which technically meant that APHC was taking back the money it had paid the workers over the years; THAT, AHPC further created Chepchabas Cooperative Society comprised of the 214 families and demanded payment of Kshs280 per acre from them in 1975, thereby assigning most families as little as 1.6 acres which in the same case was on riparian reserve. Despite 85 acres being allocated by AHPC for common income generation through tea framing, the said resources have proved too minimal and unsustainable for a population which now exceeds 5,000 residents; THAT, actions by AHPC compelled the residents of Chepchabas into squatter life on their own ancestral land; THAT, the NLC in its ruling on 7th February 2019, noted that the AHPC which is now operating as James Finlay Kenya needed to pay the affected residents profits for utilizing their land over the years; THAT, efforts to address this matter with other relevant authorities have not borne much fruit; and, THAT, the matter in respect of which this Petition is made is not pending before any court of law or constitutional body. Now therefore, your humble petitioners pray that the National Assembly, through the Departmental Committee on Lands: (i) inquires into the irregular takeover of the land in the Chepchabas area in Bomet and Kericho counties with the objective of facilitating due compensation for the residents of the area who were compelled into squatter life on their ancestral land; (ii) undertakes a satisfactory audit of the original sale of land to the Chepchabas Farmers’ Cooperative Society to ascertain whether the entire 600 acres of land were actually granted to the The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}