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{
    "id": 1457795,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1457795/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 245,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Omogeni",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13219,
        "legal_name": "Erick Okong'o Mogeni",
        "slug": "erick-okongo-mogeni"
    },
    "content": "we should do it gradually. Let those who are able do it. When we attain a population that has smartphones and access to laptops, then we can embrace that. I will talk about the importance of giving land for public utility any time somebody is doing a big project. There is no way you can allow somebody to come in, do a big housing project of more than 2,000 people like the projects I see some good friends from China are doing on Mombasa Road, and they do not want to surrender part of that land for public utility. Even if you travel to these developed countries such as Australia, they restrict the radius within which your child will be admitted to school. For example, before your child is admitted to a certain school when you live within Umoja, there must be evidence showing that you live within that area. I like what is being proposed here. That we amend Section 55(7) so that when somebody is surrendering land for public utility, there is a title deed issued. If you remember, the scandal that we had around Ruaraka was because somebody surrendered land for use by a school without a title deed. Several years down the line, he made a claim saying that was his land. He had a strong case because there was no title deed that was issued in the name of that school. Even if it was not for anything, I will support this Bill because of what is being proposed in Clause 12(15). That, the moment you set aside land for public utility, you issue a title deed to that institution. This is so that tomorrow, the owner does not turn back and say that they never surrendered their land because the title is still in their name. Those are strong points because the only way you can evidence that you have given away land is by issuing a title deed. Where we have big projects, let us have land being set aside for ECDE, schools, a commercial center and even a public field where our children can play football. I was in Hong Kong many years ago, 2007, and at the center of the city, equivalent to KICC, they have set aside land where in the evening, senior citizens aged 70 and above can walk while their grandchildren play football and volleyball. That is how it should be. This is a very progressive proposal, which I support. The issue of title deeds is so critical. The Government of Netherlands gave Nyamira a grant to do a dam which would have benefited more than 6,000 families with piped water at Bunyunyu in Kitutu Masaba. However, that project has not taken off because many of the families do not have title deeds. This is land that belongs to your grandfather who left it to your father who left it to you and you do not have a title deed. So, the Government wants to come and compensate you, but they say unless you show them a copy of your title deed, there is no way they are going to pay you. Issuing of title deeds as proposed in this amendment Bill is very useful. I would also like this Bill to do something about the draconian thing called the Land Control Board (LCB). If our new Constitution gives me the legal right to own a title deed, why should it be that any time I want to sell my land, I should go and seek the consent of the LCB? Have you ever come across any Kenyan who has ever been denied consent by the LCB? There is nobody. What is happening is that every time anybody applies for the 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."
}