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{
    "id": 188768,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/188768/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 207,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Shaban",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister of State for Special Programmes",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 139,
        "legal_name": "Naomi Namsi Shaban",
        "slug": "naomi-shaban"
    },
    "content": " Thank you very much, Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker. I rise to support the Minister for Lands on this budgetary allocation. Whereas I am giving support to my colleague, I am worried that the funds allocated to that Ministry are inadequate. In the last two financial years, we had money allocated for Settlement Fund Trust (SFT). This money assisted the Minister and his team to resettle people. However, in this year's budgetary allocation, there is no allocation for SFT. I am concerned because I thought it should have been a continuous exercise, with the Government making sure that the Minister for Lands is able to resettle Kenyans. The SFT is such an important fund. It has been very useful. If there is no allocation to SFT, there should have been a deliberate move to allocate funds towards resettlement. While commending the Minister for the job that he has started doing very seriously, where resettlement of Kenyans is concerned, and making sure that the mistakes which were made are corrected, it will go a long way if the Government set aside funds for computerization of records in the Ministry throughout the country. It will be easier for the Minister and his team to compile all their records, so Kenyans access the information on how land has been changing hands in this county. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, right now as we are busy resettling people who were affected by the post-election violence, our concern is title deeds. We know most of them lost their title deeds. Some title deeds were burned down as people fled their homesteads. These documents were lost. It is becoming quite difficult for them to access their records, so that some of these documents can be replaced. This also applies to other Kenyans who have been complaining that it is difficult to find this information simply because it would take time for the lands officers to try and trace the 1990 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 22, 2008 information which is in their archives or maybe in survey department. Compiling it takes a lot of time. As we know, time is money. Therefore, anybody who is spending time chasing the lands officers would have been doing something else which would be more useful in the development of our country. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, as I talk about our rural areas, the major disease there is that people are grabbing public utilities. It has been a \"cancer\" which has almost destroyed the fabric of our country. Schools compounds are not spared by this grabbing mania. It has provided a loophole where most of the people who are fond of grabbing land have been able to grab it. So, you will find that almost every other month parents fight with people who pretend or come with letters of allocation for the school land. While I was looking at the Estimates, I was rather disappointed that not enough money was allocated for surveying. Whereas the Government is in the middle of resettling Kenyans and reforming land issues, I think there should have been enough money allocated for surveying, so that surveyors can go round and carry out their work in an easier way. This is because most of the time when Permanent Secretaries send officers to survey land, it is difficult for them to get their night- out allowance simply because funds are not available. I expected to see a difference in this Budget where Lands Officers would be busy but with some little money for their nigh-out allowances. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, this time round, some money has been allocated for sitting allowances for members of the Tribunal and the Board. This would enable them to carry out the important work they had started and set out to do. They give the grassroots feeling of what is happening on the ground. The best thing this Ministry did is to make sure that we have the Boards and Tribunals coming from the same area of jurisdiction. It is easy for them to access, listen and get to know the truth for the Minister to take action. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, in conclusion, I would like to commend the Minister for Lands for having started off with a well planned action-plan to sort out the issues of this country. These issues needed somebody to be tough so that the problems, which have been the pain for most Kenyans, can be sorted out. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}