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{
    "id": 188517,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/188517/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 206,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Wamalwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 148,
        "legal_name": "Eugene Ludovic Wamalwa",
        "slug": "eugene-wamalwa"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have seen many people from Trans Nzoia travelling all the way to Nairobi to get title deeds from the Lands Office. It is a very cumbersome process. It is also expensive for farmers to travel hundreds of miles to Nairobi. We do need a system of decentralization that can enable district registries to operate, and to issue title deeds to farmers in the regions rather than having everyone travelling to Nairobi. In one case, we had about 900 members of a farm and each was supposed to travel to Nairobi to pay at the central registry an amount of about Kshs1,000 to purchase the freehold facility. The bus fare for travelling from Kitale to Nairobi is just about that amount. If the system was decentralised and farmers did not have to travel all the way, we would not only save on money but it would be a convenient process that would speed up the processing and issuance of title deeds. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I must appreciate that the Lands Office has very experienced and very qualified officers. I must mention one Mr. Murage, who was a Senior Director of Survey. I am happy to see him here. Indeed, they have done a lot to try and speed up or simplify the process. But it still remains very cumbersome, and complicated for an ordinary Kenyan. We must do something and do it quickly to ensure that we assist farmers get title deeds. It is a matter of great concern that the two most important resources that this country has, which are land and people, 45 years down the line, we have not developed a national land policy. The other one is about the youth of this nation. They form about 70 per cent of the population of Kenya, yet we do not have a national youth policy. These two are factors that have played a very July 23, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 2073 crucial role in every conflict that we have had in this nation. Those who have been involved in violence, whether it was chasing the colonialist from this country to get land, or it was the post- election violence, were the youth, yet we have not developed national policies to comprehensively address the issues touching on those two very crucial natural resources. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I urge that the Government, and all Kenyans, give the necessary support to the development and the passing of the national land policy. We appreciate that the Ministry had done a lot towards this end, and they must be given the necessary support to ensure that the national land policy is developed, and becomes law through this House and the Cabinet. The last issue brings into question the Budget-making process, and the national priorities that have clearly not been addressed. Looking at the budget allocated to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, it was less than Kshs2 billion. The budget allocated to the Ministry of Lands is Kshs2.3 billion. It is simply not enough. There is the issue of squatters in this country, and there was no allocation towards that this year. We are urging that something needs to be done immediately to address the issue of landlessness, particularly the issue of settlement of squatters. This year, there are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who are yet to be settled and given title deeds. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}