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{
    "id": 1373883,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1373883/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 390,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Likuyani, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Innocent Mugabe",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "I rise to oppose this Bill for a number of reasons. It tries to address issues of affordable housing which cannot be gainsaid. However, if you look at it, is it addressing the root cause of affordability and availability of housing? The answer is no. It tries to justify and give a legal backing to Housing Levy and has totally nothing to do with affordability and availability of housing. I thought it would look at issues of land tenure system, physical planning and regulations. If it does not look at all that, then we are not addressing the real issues of affordable housing. Clause 11 of the Bill basically says that the biggest problem is financing and nothing else. The question is on whether the housing problem will be solved by public financing through over-taxation of Kenyans which I do not agree with. As a Government, I wish we can look at other alternative methodologies of addressing housing issues. Can we enable people to build their houses by providing the necessary infrastructure like sewer systems, electricity and proper policies? Should we over-tax Kenyans to have these houses? We should work with Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to enable private partners to build up houses. The Government can help in subsidising land and other components to allow Kenyans to own them. Another element that needs to be addressed which is not clear is land. This can be looked as a scheme to grab high premium public land because it is being transferred to private developers. As a country, we do not have proper land banks. If we want to do development for public good in future, where will we get this land? Are the counties getting compensation for it? These issues must be addressed adequately before we table this Bill."
}