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{
    "id": 1108034,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1108034/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 505,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Bomet Central, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Ronald Tonui",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1242,
        "legal_name": "Ronald Kiprotich Tonui",
        "slug": "ronald-kiprotich-tonui"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity to make comments on this very important Bill. I do support this Bill. It is clarifying many issues in the business of renting and lending. I believe it is important. Though I have not seen the Report by the relevant committee, I hope it is going to be available. I have checked, it is not available at the moment. I hope proper public participation was done on this Bill, so that we have the input of the public on the same. Issues of accommodation are very important. The landlord and the tenant have a strong symbiotic relationship. One has invested in houses and the other one is looking for comfortable accommodation. So, this Bill is very important. We need to have a very refined Bill which can take care of these interests that can be conflicting but is of interest to the two parties. I know we have created a tribunal. It is also in the existing Act. It is very good so that we can sort out the issues of dispute, which can arise in the business of renting and letting. So, this tribunal will sort out the issues of distress of rent for the landlords and the issues of fair rent for the tenants. This is well provided for in this Bill, so that the tenants are not exploited in terms of high rents. It will be sorted out by the tribunal. If you read through, the Bill provides for an agreement between the landlord and the tenant in terms of rent. That is fair. So, I think this needs to be encouraged and this provision in the law must be allowed to go through, so that we have fairness in this business. I am not sure of the issue of giving the records. I know it is always good to give records, but I know some are having very small rooms. Some have small bedsitters somewhere. I do not know whether they have the right skills to be giving proper records. These are issues which need to be refined. To what level should we have book keepers. Do these people require to have people who can keep books so that they meet the requirement of this law? I hope this is not complicating the issue of the struggling… currently we have so many Technical Training Institutes (TTIs) in many constituencies and people are trying to put up one-roomed houses to accommodate students. I do not know how they will be required to be keeping books. Will they need to involve some professionals in book keeping? Those are some of the issues which we need to take care of. The idea that the landlord will require justification for rent increase is captured in this law and appreciate it. You should not just wake up in the morning and adjust rent simply because you have run short of money or your pressed financially. This one must be justified by improvement in the state of the houses and the issue of inflation. I think the basis for justification for the rent is well provided for in this law and it is agreeable to me. There is also notice for any rent increase; the 90 days’ notice. This is so clear in this law. It is provided because the tenant must know in advance that there is going to be an adjustment in the rent and therefore, they will be able to ask for justification for the increase in rent. I think 90 days is good enough so that tenants are not surprised with increase in rent. There is also determination of cases which are registered or filed in the tribunal is provided within this Bill. It is going to be three months. Within three months, it should be concluded. I think this is a good because we do not want to have prolonged cases in these tribunals. Cases which take years to be concluded when possibly the issue is a rent of Kshs 10,000 and you take long in the courts. This one should be concluded within the shortest time possible. I believe three months as provided for, is good enough. People with disabilities are also mentioned in this Bill. All these buildings are public buildings. Even though they are built by private owners, what is required of all public buildings is that they need to be accessible by people with disabilities and anything which is required to make 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."
}