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"content": "Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, I stand to support the Minister on his Vote and wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity. Like those who have spoken before me, we all have this feeling that Mr. Orengo has brought a breath of new life at the Ministry of Lands. We are hoping that he is not going to become weak at the knees and that, he will continue with the reform agenda. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, the first thing I would like to comment on is the issue of Land Registry. I believe that part of the reform agenda the Minister should look into is the need for the Land Registry to be completely overhauled. It is only through overhauling this registry that we can be able to stem the corruption found in this Ministry. I remember that at the beginning of this year, the Minister proposed a revision of the charges imposed on people for various services at the Ministry of Lands. However, I think the Minister was not given time to explain his thoughts. He was not given time to say why he thought these charges should be revised. I still think that in his response, the Minister can use the opportunity to tell the House what was in his mind when he wanted the charges to be revised. I would like to comment on the issue of the fee charged on search certificates. I believe the figure he put was too high. This is because people go for a search certificate for very small reasons, for example, in my area when somebody has to be bailed out of jail and a fine of Kshs2,000 is required, one needs to do a search. If this is to be done at a figure as high as Kshs3,500 then it would defeat the process. I still insist that it should remain at Kshs100 or we could raise it to Kshs100 per acre. July 22, 2008 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 1991 Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, there is confusion because there is a tendency by some people to make it difficult for others to develop land for which they hold title deeds. For these cases, the Minister can charge a fee of, say, Kshs5,000 per acre for people who want to put a caution on land. That way, putting a caveat on somebody will be seen as something which is slightly difficult. I would also like to request the Minister to look at the issue of succession of land in this country because the succession process is very tedious. It takes a very long time and it is costly. Some of the people who want to succeed their land are not necessarily rich people. I want to ask the Minister to consider increasing the number of land registrars. The number of land registrars in the country is so small such that if you go to a place like Kakamega, you will find only one land registrar who is expected to take care of Butere-Mumias, Vihiga, Busia, Lugari and so on. In so doing, he completely wastes time. Similarly, land surveyors. There is need for the Minister to ensure that these people are increased. There is an adventure in my thought about land and burials. While the Minister is clear about burial or disposal of bodies in public land, he is not very clear about burials in private land. If you go to a place like Kakamega where the population density is very high, the number of graves is such that unless a place is developed, then a time will come when the whole of Kakamega will just be a grave yard. I suggest that for purposes of private property, the Minister should consider issuing a Gazette Notice that once you choose to bury in private property, then you will not be allowed to cement the grave so that after a few years, the grave becomes normal soil and people can start farming there. They should prohibit cementing of graves in private homesteads so that the children who come after us, when we have long died, do not lack where to farm. Madam Temporary Deputy Speaker, on the issue of public land, the Minister had indicated that he is considering repossession of undeveloped land. I would like to support the Minister on this policy that any land that was given to individuals or companies, and which is undeveloped, should be repossessed. Further, I would request the Minister to prohibit people who have been allocated Government land from selling it. This is because if you are allocated land, it means you have the capacity to develop it. However, once you show that you are unable to develop it, then you can actually be made to return it so that people are not just given property for purposes of making a quick buck. I would like to remind the Minister of a rally he held at Muliro Gardens in Kakamega. Those were many years ago, but the Minister remembers that he told the people of Kakamega that if he ever became the President of this country, he would make sure that all the people who have grabbed the Old Kakamega Showground give it back to the public. Now he is the Minister for Lands and the people who grabbed the Old Kakamega Showground are still there. The Minister is in a position to act. The Old Kakamega Showground was given to Masinde Muliro University, but the Minister is still sitting there---"
}