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{
    "id": 234344,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234344/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 150,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Rotino",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 350,
        "legal_name": "Phillip Ruto Rotino",
        "slug": "phillip-rutino"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, for giving me this chance to contribute to this important Motion and support it. As my colleagues have said, the Motion has been brought by a very important person; a person who was a Minister in the former Government. The Motion he has brought is very timely and I want to support it. I listened to him when he moved the Motion and I wanted to hear him say what problems he faced so as not to implement this Motion. He was a Minister in that Government and had the opportunity to settle squatters. He should have given us the reasons why he did not settle or even try to settle some of the squatters. Mr.Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have said time and again, and this has been echoed by everybody, that we are sitting on something which is very dangerous. It is upon this House to take responsibility. We have passed many laws and policies in this House, but nobody has implemented them. Ministers come and hear these problems but do not take action. The Government keeps postponing these problems. The former regime knew about the squatter problem, but instead of settling them or even trying to settle them, for 24 years, they kept on postponing the problem. I do not know who is going to solve it. The upsurge in crime is partly because of this problem. The trouble in Laikipia is a good example. The issue of Pokots and Samburus moving into Laikipia is 3672 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 15, 2006 not of their own making; it is due to the problems they face. They were deprived of their land. In 1926, the Pokots were moved from their land in Trans Nzoia to the periphery and dry areas. But they now want to move back to their land but nobody is listening to them and that is why they are using force. That is why the rate of crime in this country is on the rise. It is not that those people want to become criminals. But it is because we are pushing our people into a corner. We are not listening to them and that is why they are taking the law into their own hands. The other day, we saw thousands of youths demonstrating in the streets and Members were surprised. Those youths could as well have walked into Parliament and even the police officers could not prevent them. When we make laws, we must implement them. It is one thing for us to pass this Motion and quite another to implement it. The Mover of the Motion was once a Minister in the Ministry of Lands and he should have resigned then for not being able to execute his duties. The problem in Kuresoi is also a land issue. Many people are not being settled, yet when you drive upcountry, you see thousands of acres of land lying idle. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Motion is timely and the Mover should move with speed and bring the Bill to the House, we pass it and we see it being implemented. It is unfortunate that the Ministers are not here, which shows that they do not take the land issue seriously. Not even the technocrats from the Ministry are here! We are speaking to ourselves. Who is going to implement this? This matter has been raised time and again. There is a lot of ADC land in Trans Nzoia. When we talk about squatters, we should know the genuine ones without interference from us politicians. But even if we were to say we want to settle squatters today, who owns the land in Mathare or Kibera? It is not those squatters; it is us the politicians. Those are the rich people who own the land. So, we should be sincere to ourselves. We should not just talk here for the media to report. Hon. Wamwere here will say that I am talking about squatters. But we are interested parties also. We are the people who own that land. Just go to Kibera today and see who collects rent! Many of them are politicians or civil servants. Are we really sincere on what we are talking about? We may pass very good laws here, but the Executive must implement them. Let the politicians also be sincere and stop interfering with the settlement of squatters. Otherwise, we shall be going round and round. Any other Government will come in and it will not be able to do anything because of the interference by politicians. With those remarks, I beg to support."
}