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{
    "id": 1268281,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1268281/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 238,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Starehe, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Maina",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13283,
        "legal_name": "Charles Kanyi Njagua",
        "slug": "charles-kanyi-njagua"
    },
    "content": "We are seeing so many land conflicts at the Coast and historical land injustices. Also, land issues where pastoralists are claiming their community land is being invaded in North Eastern and other areas. I think it is high time we digitised land issues. So, when we want to evaluate and rate, we can capture a broader bracket. As at now, if we are to evaluate, we will only address the people affected by the perennial rating issues. So as to address the issue of collection of more revenue, it is only better we try to fully get absoluteness of ownership of land in this country. If we cannot do so absolutely, we cannot get a higher percentage captured in the rating bracket. Also, we should digitise land so that people can access ownership anywhere in the country including those in the diaspora who have invested in land. This will reduce cases of land grabbing in our counties because of openness brought by digitisation and you can know the status of your land from anywhere. I think this is the first step in the right direction. We have seen foreign companies mapping Kenya and offering map services in our phones. So, we are able to trace a place and know, for example, the distance from Kericho to Nairobi or even trace the shortest road in a ward. It is only fair for the Government to invest resources in digitising land because it is possible and doable as we can see from Google Maps and other technology companies. They trace places in our villages yet they are not in Kenya. So, if the Government invested more in digitising land, I think this matter will be dwelt with once and for all. I seem not to agree with the Leader of the Majority Party when he says that a storey building will be charged more than land used for parking. I am not a land economist but I want to stimulate and incentivize investments in my county. If we encourage a person who owns a parking space in the City Centre to pay lower land rates than the one who owns a storey building, then we will not attract investments. In any case, the one who owns a storey building is also in the rental income tax bracket. He or she contributes more to the revenue in this country than the person who owns an open space. In fact, a person who owns an open space should be charged more so that they can be encouraged to invest and develop the land instead of having idle land."
}