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{
    "id": 1460010,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1460010/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 292,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Funyula, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. (Dr) Ojiambo Oundo",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "as possible to the current financial year. As you remember, in the past Parliaments, we used to have only one PIC. Consequently, we used to have a backlog of reports that had not been examined and tabled in this House. That, indeed, on its own, was being unfair and, in a way, was not in compliance with Article 95 of the Constitution that mandates this National Assembly to oversee various Government agencies that receive funds from Government coffers. As others have said, many a time in this country, we do not have shortage of reports. There is scarcity, so to speak, of implementing the findings in these reports. The structure of Parliament is that once various committees have presented their reports on this Floor and they have been adopted, they are then transmitted to the Committee on Implementation that is expected to follow up on the implementation. We do not seem to have made so much progress. I would suggest to the Parliamentary Service Commission to move with speed and provide adequate capacity and resources to the Committee on Implementation so that we are in a position to ensure that we bring to account all those who have been adversely mentioned in various audits and any other reports. Otherwise, it will be an exercise in futility for committees to do such wonderful and thorough analysis of reports of the Auditor-General, present the reports here, Members of the National Assembly highlight all the issues and then that is the end of the story. It will mean many State officers and accounting officers will never take Parliament seriously. They will know all we can do is simply talk and that is the end of the story. I have read the observations and recommendations from the Report of the Committee. One of the standout findings was lack of ownership documents on land and buildings. This has been a cross-cutting issue in many Government entities. We do not understand where the problem lies. We have the Department of Survey and land registries. Literally, all sub-counties have land registries. We have all the relevant skills required. They are not engaged all the time. Why survey and evaluation cannot be undertaken and titles cannot be processed is something many of us cannot understand. I say so because I am a professional in that field, and I know it is doable with very little expenses. This is Government land. This is Government-to- Government exercise. Some of the charges and levies that have to be paid to process those documents, since the Government talks about one Government, why can the agencies not sit together and agree to waive some of those expenses so that those entities can get ownership documents that are inalienable proof of ownership. I have had discussions with quite a few friends and colleagues who sit in the NLC noting the challenges and the bureaucracy in the mainstream office of lands. Once we contextualise, we might have to come here to amend the Land Act. There has been a thinking on why we cannot do vesting so that a simple declaration in the Kenya Gazette that land bounded by certain coordinates becomes public entity instead of going through the rigorous process of survey and the rest to get physical title documents. That is so that we never alienate the land to any other entity for use for any other purpose. Therefore, such a declaration becomes sufficient evidence of ownership of that title for use as lien in a bank or any other purpose. It can be proof to enter into books of accounts of the entity in the asset register. That will solve many of those issues. On land valuation, I know the Department of Lands has complained of inadequate valuers. However, I note that they have employed an adequate number of valuers in the last year or so. Therefore, it is important that the employed move with speed to ensure they value properties. For example, under paragraph 15 of the Report, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) did not value and disclose the value for various parcels of land that are occupied by 45 of its campuses. Technically speaking, they have not complied with the provisions of public entities or the accounting board. Their books of accounts are incomplete and misleading. This is contrary to the provisions of the Audit Act and the PFM Act. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for informationpurposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}