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{
    "id": 1456813,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1456813/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 61,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Dullo",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13125,
        "legal_name": "Dullo Fatuma Adan",
        "slug": "dullo-fatuma-adan"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I join my colleagues in congratulating this committee that looked into the Petition from Nyamira County. I hope the petitioners will get solutions to the current problems they are facing. There is a major problem as far as land acquisition by relevant government institutions in this country is concerned. It is a matter that we need to review. Mr. Speaker, Sir, looking at the Petition, you can imagine 104 acres of land being owned by certain institution in a place like Nyamira County, where the population is increasing. That is a big chunk of land which – procedurally - should not happen. The land is not also being used in the right manner. I used to work with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) as a convener of a programme that touches on prison services. I remember one time I was actually heading a committee that looked at the issues of prisons in this House. I think it was in 2019 we visited several prison institutions to look at the land use. Those Government institutions are keeping huge chunks of land, which are not being put to proper use. There is also so much grabbing of the land by different individuals taking place. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the prisons’ core mandate is the rehabilitation of the inmates or rather even the prisoners. However, as it is right now, some of them have over 900 to 1,000 acres of land in several parts of the country that are not properly used. They might also have a labour force that is already there, but accountability of the land produce is in question because it is not properly accounted for and the land is not utilized properly. There is a big challenge. The situation in Nyamira County where a Government institution is blocking the usage of water or even polluting the water that is being used by the community is a very serious offense. I feel that we need to review the use and acquisition of land by different Government institutions because it is not being put to proper use. If prisons land is properly utilized it can feed the whole country, but unfortunately is not put to proper use. Something has to be done. The prisons budget has billions of Kenya shillings of pending bills while they are keeping those huge chunks of land in this country. Those bills should have been paid from the land proceeds they get from the prisons. Counties are not properly involved in compulsory acquisition and land use. If the land use has changed then the counties should be involved. They should be told this is the direction the planning is supposed to take. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you will find that the counties sometimes relegate their responsibility to the national Government and do not protect the right of the citizens as required by law. I have seen that there is also the destruction of flora and fauna by Government institutions, which is very dangerous. That has to be investigated properly and the right action be taken against those Government institutions. I have a similar situation in Isiolo County where a prison has over 10,000 acres within the Central Business District (CBD) and they are not properly using it. It has now become a den of criminals within Isiolo town. As a county, we have tried to give them an alternative piece of land so that they can move and utilize land outside the CBD. Unfortunately, they are reluctant. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}