Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 1561430,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1561430/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 218,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kiambu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. John Waithaka",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 44(2)(c), I rise to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands regarding the attempted land grabbing targeting the family of the late Mr Wilson Mbothu in Ting’ang’a Ward, Kiambu County. Mr Mbothu’s family owns and resides on their 236-acre parcel of land in Ting’ang’a Ward in Kiambu, with their ownership properly documented. The family acquired the land from the white settlers 51 years ago. Legitimate ownership is further evidenced by the Government's compensation for land allocated for the development of the Kiambu-Riuki-Gewa Road. Additional compensation was received for the allocation of land for the Athi Water Three Pipeline Easement. However, over the past two months, the family has faced systematic harassment through repeated summons from various state agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Land Commission (NLC), demanding explanations regarding their land acquisition. The harassment has escalated to include unauthorised visits to the family's property and acts of vandalism within their farm, which has disrupted their farming activities. Despite full cooperation from all official summons and investigations, which have not yet yielded evidence of any impropriety, they continue to face intimidation and live in constant fear for their safety and security of tenure. Hon. Speaker, it is against this background that I request a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Lands addressing the following: 1. Reasons for the repeated summons issued to Mbothu’s family by various state agencies, including specific details for any informal investigations being conducted. 2. The actions being taken to investigate and address the repeated incidents of vandalism and unauthorised access to the family's property. 3. The specific steps being taken by the Ministry to protect the legitimate landowners of Mbothu’s family, given their documented history of ownership and previous official transactions with Government agencies. 4. The measures being implemented to protect legitimate land owners from harassment, intimidation by state officers, and those interested parties in Kiambu and the country. I further wish to state that I requested this Statement on 2nd December 2024. On 5th December 2024, the Departmental Committee on Lands invited the Principal Secretary, State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, Hon. Nixon Korir, to provide information regarding the matter. The record was set straight that indeed Mbothu’s family owns this land. On 22nd April this year at around 11.30 a.m., the family alleges officers from the DCI headquarters went to the family farm and asked them to vacate the land. I seek your direction on this matter. Thank you, Hon. Speaker."
}