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{
    "id": 236998,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/236998/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 279,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Mwiria",
    "speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Education",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 190,
        "legal_name": "Valerian Kilemi Mwiria",
        "slug": "kilemi-mwiria"
    },
    "content": " Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I meant to refer to the beaches that were grabbed. That word is unparliamentary and I withdraw it. The victims of ethnic clashes, Mau Mau freedom fighters and the poor living in slums are all landless. But I do not agree with those people who say we should go the Mugabe route. I think the Mugabe route will be a problem. I agree with the concept, but disagree with the method and timing. It is important to look for a way of compensating our landless people while following the law. We should ensure that we do not delay too much in taking action otherwise whatever we do later will be redundant. People should benefit as quickly as they should from our action. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is also the issue of ensuring that the land that is occupied is productive. We tend to emphasize on our rural land. In Nairobi and other urban centres, there is also plenty of land that is owned by people who do not put it to productive use. Owners of such land should be forced to use their land productively through imposition of fines. They should be required to either develop such land or have it repossessed and allocated to people who will put it to good use. On the issue of title deeds, there is no need to have a land development policy if we do not issue title deeds. I think the reason why people were expelled from the Rift Valley through clashes was because of lack titles. Lack of title deeds is a national problem. The sooner we address this problem the better, so that dispossessing people's land does not continue to recur. In conclusion, I wish to say that this is an issue related to poverty. It is not just an issue of people not having land. If they have it and cannot use it productively then it is of no use to them. So, it is important to look at this comprehensively as an issue of poverty. We should find ways and means that will go beyond distribution of land, and taking land from people who are not using it. Formulation of a long-term development plan is useful. I agree with hon. G.G Kariuki that we, as parliamentarians, have a responsibility to take this matter seriously and enact a law that will make it impossible for this kind of problem to recur in the future. I wish to congratulate the Minister for Lands and his Ministry for making efforts that will lead to a permanent resolution of this problem. I urge that we solve this problem now, so that our future generations will not have to fight over land resources. With those few remarks, I beg to support."
}