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{
"id": 227936,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/227936/?format=api",
"text_counter": 313,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Prof. Kibwana",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Environment and Natural Resources",
"speaker": {
"id": 277,
"legal_name": "Kibwana Kivutha",
"slug": "kibwana-kivutha"
},
"content": " Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I hope I will get ten minutes since this issue involves the Ministry of Lands as it involves the Ministry of State for Administration and National Security. This is a very important occasion, when all of us, as sober people can sort out the issue and assist the country, instead of blaming each other. I hope that we will still not lose the opportunity. The Chebyuk issue was originally a land problem which was converted into a political issue, and after that it became a security issue. I say that because yesterday, I was in a meeting for about six hours with leadership of the religious sector from Mt. Elgon and I was able to understand in a deep way what the issue is all about. Indeed, I think it is in order if we, first, extend our condolences to the families of the people who have died in the conflict, including families of policemen. Up to now, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has never de-gazetted the Chebyuk Forest. So, strictly speaking, there is no land available unless that forest is de-gazetted. That is why I made a comment, which was misunderstood by the media. I said that the first stage to settle people would be to de-gazette phase one, two and three because all those phases are still Government forest. I was not talking about giving out extra Government forest land because that is not tenable. Up to now, my Ministry has not been involved in the allocation of land in Chebyuk. During the former regime, the Provincial Administration was able to share the land 6,040 in phase one, 6,040 in phase two and within phase three, people were being told to go settle where they could. They were told: \"Nendeni huko halafu Serikali itawafuata.\" So, the bone of contention was when--- Before the end of the last regime, it was also decided that there should be fresh allocation of land to people. It was decided that people should apply afresh for land, especially where squatters were living. That is how we ended up having 7,000 people applying for land where others had already settled. When it was decided that 1,732 people should own the land, that caused a problem because many people, including others who had land elsewhere had applied. Part of the solution is the committee that we established of professionals, elders, religious leaders and the Provincial Administration to look through all the allocations with the Ministry of Lands so that there is formal allocation after formal de-gazettement of the land. The deserving people will then have the land. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, one of the problems that is igniting that issue is the squatter settlement scheme. We have cases of people settling on the land. We also have some people who come from elsewhere and who want to be allocated the land, including very advantaged people. I am determined to ensure fairness and justice in the final allocation of that land so that, politicians and traditional leaders do not use a very sorry situation to make people fight when they should not. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, you said that you will give me more time because that is a land issue. What is really sad is that a brother is fighting against another brother. A brother is fighting a sister. Essentially, the war is not between the Soy and the Ndorobo. But it is the Soy who are fighting their fellow kinsmen. When some people report anything---"
}