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{
    "id": 1278240,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1278240/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Starehe, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Maina",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13283,
        "legal_name": "Charles Kanyi Njagua",
        "slug": "charles-kanyi-njagua"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Hon. Temporary Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to support this Motion by my colleague, friend and the Deputy Whip of the Minority Party, Hon. Mwenje. Thank you for bringing up this issue. We have always had issues with land in this country. The 13th Parliament should go down in history as one that addressed the issues of land in absoluteness. We have a very big challenge. Our people have been demeaned by being called squatters in the 21st century. These are human beings entitled to dignified life. Basically, this is a very emotive issue. I take issue with NLC; they have slept on the job. Most of these issues we are talking about happened under their noses yet they have not taken adequate measures to address them in absoluteness. Recently, we had a debate on matters to do with digitising land operations. A Member noted that there is need to address the issue of land ownership in absoluteness. We need to give title deeds to our people so that, even if they pay land rates and rents, they are content that they absolutely own the land. There is a company from America called Google. I have interest in how they have been able to map out all the roads, lanes and places in Kenya yet the Government of Kenya cannot even map out the pieces of land in Kenya and give people titles. We need to address land issues using the wisdom of Google Maps. There is a challenge with big corporations that own huge chunks of land that lie idle for a long time. The land attracts people who take over ownership and make it productive. After such people occupy the land for some time, we start calling them squatters and evict them yet they have invested. They make the land profitable and a source of income for too many people. We have a corporation like the Kenya Railways with huge chunks of land, some bordering Wakulima Market in my area. That land is lying idle while Wakulima Market is congested. We have been requesting them to cede some land so that people in Wakulima Market can use and stop displaying their wares on the road. We live in a progressive society where the population grows every single day. Land is an issue that we should tackle progressively. Some Government corporations should cede more land to squatters. Squatters in informal settlements should be given title deeds so that they can develop their plots. Cases of fire outbreaks will stop once and for all and interests for these lands will be known. We have many people who have grabbed land in Pangani through the County Government. The County Government of Nairobi is offering land to unscrupulous landgrabbers in the name of Public Private Partnership. They end up erecting high-rise buildings on public land. That does not benefit the public. On the issue of economic unlocking, many people in Nairobi own parcels of land but do not have title deeds. Some are business people. If they were to be given title deeds, they would go to banks get money and develop this country. That would unlock this country economically. This is an issue that should be incorporated in a Lands Reforms Bill so that we can move this country forward. 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."
}