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{
    "id": 1126083,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1126083/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 302,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Narok North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Richard ole Kenta",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 420,
        "legal_name": "Richard Moitalel ole Kenta",
        "slug": "richard-moitalel-ole-kenta"
    },
    "content": "Director of Land Adjudication. We met almost everybody who matters in land matters in this country. The understanding and whatever came out clearly was that these people needed to be saved from the land deficit. We also met the owner of the Teita Sisal Estate. That is one Mr. Philip Kyriazi. We met another group called the Mwasima Mbuwa Welfare Society. We met the County Commissioner. We met residents of a village called Singila Majengo. What came out was that there was a school called Mwandisha Primary School which was kind of locked out from the community. One of the resolutions was that the school belonged to the community and should be given back to the community. I am pleased to report to the House that Mwandisha Primary School, which consists of around 13 hectares, was taken and given back to the Ministry for the benefit of the community. Roads were also blocked by the owner of the Estate and this created a lot of unnecessary tension. The Committee ensured that there was a resolution that those roads should be opened was implemented. Apart from the human rights issues that arose, the most important thing was the land. I am pleased to report to this House that, whereas there was a claim that boundaries were interfered with to take away the community land, it was established that Taita Land Holdings amounted to over 30,000 hectares and the same was confirmed. The good thing is that, the so called ‘Taita Estate’ agreed to give part of the land to the community. Just to let the House know, we observed what happened against what was supposed to be done. The boundaries were not tampered with and the damage done to the crops and where compensation was sought, it was agreed that the local people will pursue it with the provincial administration and the owners of Taita Estate for compensation. There was an undertaking that it will be done. There was also the issue of intimidation and wrongful use of the police to harass the community. We met the County Commissioner and the whole security team and they gave an undertaking that will not happen again. The police station that was there was moved to ensure peace and no unnecessary friction. I have many issues in this Report and I request Members to read it. The most important thing I would like to report to this House is that the people of Taita Taveta got some of the land they were claiming. They are supposed to be given more and the Government has come out clearly saying it will support this endeavour. The Committee in its deliberations made the following observations: Taita Sisal Estate owns 30,284 hectares legally as per the Survey Report that was conducted by the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, so it has not encroached into public land. Whereas the community believes that the land belongs to them, there is also the issue of law. The constitutional aspect that anybody can own land and property and cannot be bribed unnecessarily. There was also the protection of the estate. It was a matter of convincing the Estate of the need to surrender some of the land to the local community. We could not force them because the law also protects land holdings in this country. There was also the element of investors’ interests. It was not for this Parliament to attempt to interfere with that right of the Sisal Estate. We also observed that, Taita Sisal Estate had given up 555 hectares of the land to the settlement trustee on top of the 15.6 hectares they had given to Mwandisha Primary School. This land was supposed to be subdivided and given to the ordinary people. By the time we were compiling this Report, the mother title had been surrendered to the Ministry of Lands and they were compiling the list of beneficiaries. So, as we talk, that process is ongoing and they are identifying the people who will benefit. They also assured us that this will be done. The House should understand land matters take long, so as to identify and register beneficiaries, adjudicate the land and put beacons to specific land holdings. As the Committee on Implementation, we said 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."
}