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{
    "id": 1183524,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1183524/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 186,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Narok North, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Agnes Mantaine",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 420,
        "legal_name": "Richard Moitalel ole Kenta",
        "slug": "richard-moitalel-ole-kenta"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to add my voice to this issue of land. First, we need to look at land because it is a sensitive issue especially for those of us who come from communities that own huge chunks of land. We cannot say that that land is idle, it is not. I own huge pieces of land. I came here because I was able to sell the animals that I take care of. They graze on that land. I sold those animals and made money that enabled me to come to this House. I do not support Hon. Wanyonyi’s decision to bring this issue of idle land before the House. There is no idle land where I come from and, therefore, I cannot support that discussion. Land is an asset in my community. There are various ways of acquiring land. You can acquire land by buying or inheriting it from your parents. It is our right to own land wherever we come from. We cannot treat this issue generally because we have farmers and pastoralists who graze their animals on their land. Therefore, we cannot say that our land is idle. I cannot support that. I will keep talking about it as land that is used to graze our animals. Our land is in use. Other communities are now invading our counties because they are buying land where it is available. I am not opposed to anybody buying land, but we cannot say that the Government should make us pay some penalty because the land is idle. It is not. We are using it for animal grazing. We are not importing maize because of idle land. We are doing so because somebody somewhere wants to make money from the drought and famine. We do not lack rain because of idle land. We lack rain because we are not planting trees. We need to tell our people to plant trees so that we have forests that give us rain. For that reason, I oppose Hon. Wanyonyi’s Motion that we need to review land ownership because there is idle land. We all have a right to own land and title deeds. Once you have ownership of land, you are given a title under your name and the land becomes yours and not idle. There is no idle land. I come from Narok County where people own huge chunks of land. There are those who do farming and those who graze their animals on their own land. I stand to oppose this Motion because I will be going against the will of the people who elected me to this House. I came to this House to make sure I protect their interests. We have no idle land where I come from. Thank you."
}