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{
    "id": 1052139,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1052139/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 140,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Tharaka, DP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. George Gitonga",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": "quite in time so that we can continue to deal with the emotive subject of public land. We know very well that in this country, land that is available for grabbing, misuse and misapplication is basically public land. It is for the simple reason that public lands do not have titles. Hon. Deputy Speaker, it is for that simple reason that public land does not have a title deed and as such it is available for any roving eyes with the intention to grab it. This Bill proposes that all public land allocated to public entities should be registered in the names of those entities. Upon passage of this Bill, our schools, hospitals, colleges and universities will get their title deeds in respect of the land on which they sit. This is commendable and how it should be because the NLC, an entity mandated to deal with public land, has been slow in registering these pieces of land in the names of those institutions. Our courts are replete with cases of public land grabbed by individuals. Some of this grabbing is quite notorious; it is well known and documented, but it has taken ages to recover that land, so that it is restituted to those public entities. Once this Bill is passed and implemented, we can correct those anomalies so that our institutions can have titles deeds to their lands. I want to mention that it is not just the public land because we have private lands in communities and constituencies that are not registered until today. It is pathetic that we are discussing about Kenyans with lands that have not been titled. It is important that I raise the case of Tharaka Constituency. We have huge tracks of land that are not demarcated, adjudicated and registered. I have been following up this matter with the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning. I was promised that the process of registration would start off immediately and would be executed, but that is better said than done. Tharaka Nithi borders Meru County and the net effect of having a piece of land that is not registered will be skirmishes between the two communities because some are eyeing the unregistered land that belong to the residents of Tharaka. I am not sure whether they are doing so with a view of grabbing or registering it, but I am sure it is not with any good intention. I want to call upon the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning to extend their services to the following areas in my constituency; Turima, Karocho, Mukothima, and Ntoroni, and issue title deeds to the residents. This will be in consonance with the provisions of the Bill that public land should be registered to public institution while private lands should be surveyed, demarcated and registered to private individuals. If we do that, the sanctity of land and title deeds will be upheld because land as a factor of production in any economy is extremely important. There cannot be any meaningful development and progress without issuance of title deeds to owners of land. As we title our institutions to stop land grabbers, we should also move in to title private lands in the country so that every citizen can enjoy that factor of production. With those remarks, I support."
}