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{
    "id": 1224282,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1224282/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 78,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheptumo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13591,
        "legal_name": "Cheptumo William Kipkiror",
        "slug": "cheptumo-william-kipkiror"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to also support the Statement by the Senator for Nyeri County, Sen. Wamatinga. The construction of dams in our country helps to avail water to our citizens. However, many of these dams have been frustrated because of a number of factors. In my practice of law, I have had cases where there is a conflict between the citizens and the Government because of compensation. There is no public participation between the relevant Ministry and the public. You talk of a situation where people have to surrender their portions of land for the dams to be built. For people to surrender their pieces of land, they should be compensated. The process of compensation is an issue that I want this Committee to look into. The real value of the land should be given to the owners of the land. Sometimes, there is under valuing and other times, over valuing of the land. A piece of land that was supposed to be Kshs1 million per acre can be valued at Kshs.3 million per acre. This is because of certain considerations and understandings between the officials of the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Roads and Transport. That is something that I want the Committee to look into. If you go to the National Lands Commission (NLC) today and look at the pending bills on unpaid claims, where the Commission has issued certificates, it is in billions of shillings. One wonders why that is so because once the Government has decided to build either a road or a dam, they allocate the money for that particular purpose; money for the dam to be constructed and for compensation. You wonder then why we have huge unpaid bills by the NLC. The owners of those pieces of land are subjected to a lot of suffering. They are asked to go to the National Treasury to be paid the pending bills. I am a Member of the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources and our Chairperson is here. We need to interrogate that issue too. Why does money set aside for either compensation or for the dams end up not being available to the owners of the land? This is a very important Statement. I agree that this House should rise up through the relevant Standing Committee and ensure that citizens who have suffered because of non-payment of compensation for their pieces of land are compensated accordingly. I support Mr. Speaker, Sir."
}