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{
    "id": 125920,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/125920/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 451,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Kimunya",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Trade",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the point I was making, and I do not want us to lose it, is that, as leaders, we represent the people across the entire country. When our people are watching us reducing this matter of conservation to a matter of compensation and the modalities, we are failing the test of leadership. We should encourage our people to identify water catchment and sensitive areas and, on their own volition, say: “We are prepared to move out of these areas because they are critical for our country. Show us where to go.” That has happened in other places and I believe it can happen in the Mau Complex. Let us not reduce this debate to purely a matter of compensation or no compensation. When we reduce it to that, we are actually failing the test. Let us make it appear that there is a need to conserve the forests like we did it in Karura Forest. We conserved it. Never mind the billions of shillings that were tied to loans taken by people who had title deeds to that land. With regard to some of them, we know that there was never an intention of the land being given out. It was merely being siphoned out from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and others through some of the banks under the guise of titles in Karura Forest. We supported the conservation in 2004/2005 and I have no regrets for having attempted to clean up the Mau. Had we sustained that effort, we would not be discussing this matter today. I brought to this Parliament the same issue about the sub-division of land and even gazetted that no land should be sub-divided below two and a half acres. It was fought here politically and, as a result, land is being sub-divided left, right and centre. We have no food for this country now and even into the future. Let us not politicize this thing. Let us look into the bigger picture and see how we can save our country and our children’s future. I believe that when we do that, you will realize what I meant when I said that a title that is issued on land that is not available for issuing is a piece of paper. I said that then and I will say that now because even the courts have ruled. I think Justice Khaminwa ruled in Mombasa at some point and if you care to read the Ndungu Report, you will find many citations and many examples of where land that was not available for allotment, once it is allotted, is null and void ab initio. It is a piece of paper! That is what I said and I will still insist on that."
}