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{
"id": 211829,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/211829/?format=api",
"text_counter": 211,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Capt. Nakitare",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 348,
"legal_name": "Davis Wafula Nakitare",
"slug": "davis-nakitare"
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, for a long time, this country was colonised by Britain, which left a lot of people homeless and jobless. To that extent, our people were called \"squatters\" because they were squatting on land that did not belong to them. This is a new era and a new Government. This is a Government which has foresight for the poor. This Government has come to help the landless. A land policy is soon going to be put in place. But one wonders: If the British vacated our land in 1963 and left the people who had been employed without substantive areas of settlement--- At that time, it could have been one family of two members. But now, 40 years down the line, that one family has a population of many generations. Therefore, if a father was a squatter, the sons and daughters automatically became squatters. Therefore, this is the voice of the poor, who are the majority. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if you look at Trans Nzoia District, which was called the white settlement, after the Europeans left, they pushed the traditional natives beyond the Kamukuywa River. They called that place a native reserve. They took the prime land from the natives, occupied it and took away all the benefits. They took the milk of magnesia and the riches of this country back to England - to the Royal Highness - and left our people destitute. After Independence, the British Government gave the Government of Kenya money and grants to buy out the white man's farms, so that our people could be settled. There has been a revolving atmosphere. Instead of 2826 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES July 26, 2007 settling squatters, the rich and the mighty in the previous Government took away all the land that was meant for squatters. That is the voice of the poor. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in Saboti Constituency, we had large farms owned by people like Lord Ndolia, Lord Powers and Mr. Gensen, who left tea and coffee plantations and factories without due care. The previous KANU Government never paid attention to the plight of the poor. There was double allocation of the land meant for the squatters to well- placed people in that Government. Squatters are different from victims of tribal clashes, which were perpetrated by the previous Government. This is a pile of a volcano on top of other volcanoes that had erupted. The rise in population of the young who do not even know whether their parents were squatters or displaced from their land by the mighty--- It is a big confusion. Therefore, most of them migrated to urban areas. Some went to settle on road reserves and became beggars. Trans Nzoia District has the highest number of displaced people. It is the most neglected area. It is also a central point for child labour. A family has to fend for food and shelter by providing labour services from children as young as eight years old. Those children are subjected to weed maize farms for the rich, so that they can get their daily bread. As a country, what shall we do? The pastoralists in this country have been marginalised for a long time. There is also a lot of marginalisation in the way we distribute land in this country. Unless you belong to a certain clique of people, tribe or a member of the Government, you cannot benefit. Trans Nzoia District has never benefited from this Government. The blood of our people that was shed during tribal clashes is still crying for justice. The plight of our people has not been properly addressed by this House. A commission of inquiry into the land clashes was set up, but this Government has not taken any action. It is a pity that after we discussed the report on tribal clashes in this House, nothing happened. That report is now gathering dust in the archives. What does this mean? Is this a plutocratic Government? Is this a democratic Government? Democracy is good, but not good enough. Democracy would only have meaning to our people in Saboti, Kwanza and Trans Nzoia District, if they are settled. They have contributed a lot to the economy of this country. Without them, Trans Nzoia District would not be referred to as the basket of this country. We all know weather favours that part of the country. We will only say that this Government has respect if it settles our people. There would be no land clashes in Mt. Elgon if the Government was mindful of its citizens' welfare. We would not also have land, personal and tribal clashes in Trans Nzoia District if this Government took care of its people. I am talking about the problem affecting our people. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have a dream that a day will come when my people will rise up to demand the right of ownership of land in Trans Nzoia District. We will not allow \"outsiders\" to come and maraud our people and frighten them by the power of the gun. We are not demanding what is not good for us. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, if we allow life in Trans Nzoia District to be messed up by the clashes, I wonder where Nairobi will get its food from. As a matter of fact, our people are the most hard working Kenyans. They are not used to white-collar jobs. They use jembes, spades and tractors---"
}