Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1110836,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1110836/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 476,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": "that we will get some vibrant debate on this matter because we owe it to both tenants and landlord to protect them. I did mention that this notice can be given in the period that has been proposed for terminating a tenancy in good faith, when a landlord requires possession of the premises for personal use. It has now been reduced from 12 months to 60 days. Obviously, it is one thing for a landlord to rent out his premises and another to repossess them for personal use. When a tenant needs to move into his premises for personal use, he is told he has to wait for 12 months. So, this period has been reduced to 60 days. Similarly, additional obligation to obtain the consent of a tribunal, if the landlord wishes to rent the premises within 18 months after the date when possession was actualised, it has also been removed. So, there are so many good things that are contained in this Amendment Bill. Several people have raised concerns perhaps out of listening to a lot to social media or misunderstanding of the intentions of the Bill. If you look at the broader intention of the Bill, you will appreciate that it seeks to balance those interests and consolidate the legislations on issues to do with business premises and residential premises. Therefore, there is only one reference point for matters to do with landlord/tenancy relationships. I believe there is a big improvement of the law that is currently in place. It seeks to balance the interest of both parties. In that balance, obviously, there will be areas that perhaps may require some adjustments in this House to fine tune the law. I believe from my own perspective that it goes a long way in addressing the current problems that we have between landlords and tenants. The Bill also underscores the need to continuously review our legislation to align it with current realities. You can deduce when these laws were enacted by looking at their Titles. Any law that keeps on talking about “Chapter… Laws of Kenya” tells you that it is very old. We started talking about Bills of particular year. So, these laws are quite historical and aligning them to the current constitutional dispensation and realities is a timely thing. Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I could go on and on because this is an area I am passionate about, not necessarily because I am an investor. I may have invested my money from the Parliamentary Mortgage Scheme to enable a few Kenyans secure some accommodation and pay me some rent. I wish they could pay me more. I am passionate because I believe that every human being deserves good accommodation at rent. This will also help more landlords to get into affordable housing and get into offering business as well as residential buildings for others knowing there is protection from the law. Indeed, when you look at the amount of money that has been spent by our county governments and even by the national Government in putting up premises, which could as well have been done by the private sector, it is a lot. The Government receives money on a monthly basis. The county governments receive money from the National Treasury on a monthly basis hence gobbling up billions of shillings in putting up office buildings so that they can have some county lands office or some other county offices. The county administrations could have given the responsibility of putting up such buildings to private developers, so that they synchronise the amounts they receive with the rents they pay without having to worry about the long-term effect of that building. That aspect of leasing is the concept that I find lacking in this country. So, we end up using all the money we have on putting up buildings rather than providing services. I would imagine a situation where the Government does not need to put up even hospital buildings. You just decide this is the kind of hospital we want and let the private sector come in, they build it and 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."
}