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{
    "id": 352342,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/352342/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 302,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "April 23, 2013 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 38 The Member for Kibwezi East",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(Hon. (Ms.) Mbalu): Hon. Speaker, Sir, my name is Jessica Mbalu. I represent Kibwezi East Constituency. I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Presidential Address but before I do so, I want to congratulate you and your deputy on your election. I would also like to congratulate the hon. Members who have been elected to this House. Above all, I want to thank the people of Kibwezi East for overwhelmingly electing me to represent them in this House. I want them to know that I will never let them down. Hon. Speaker, Sir, what is contained in the Presidential Address is a vision of where His Excellency wants to take this country in the next four-and-a-half years to five years – the biggest challenge, especially given the time. I want to talk about some issues that are very close to my heart, namely, street families. You can conceive an idea but the challenge is whether you are going to ensure that your idea gets to the right people. The first issue is about land. I come from a constituency where land has been an issue. His Excellency the President was very categorical on this issue when he said that it is important for this country to see that land is a factor of production. Indeed, land is a factor of production but in order for it to be truly a factor of production, some issues need to be addressed. In this country, land has been politicized and sensationalized to the level that we have not been able to get the full benefit of land. There are issues of land adjudication and issuance of title deeds and most hon. Members have talked about them. Hon. Speaker, Sir, in Kibwezi East, 99 per cent of the residents, including hon. Jessica Mbalu, do not have title deeds. We are forced to pay Government fee which is high to the land adjudication officials. In Masongaleni, my people pay Kshs50,000 and above, together with the costs, yet this was a settlement scheme set aside for the people who were moved from Chyulu Hills. How I wish the issue of land adjudication can be expedited by the President, so that the people of Kibwezi East, and other areas of this country, can have title deeds to their land. He talked about this issue in his Address very well. Without title deeds, we cannot access credit from financial institutions, nor can we access loans from other organizations which require security in terms of title deed. We can also not improve the standards of living, or create wealth, in Kibwezi East."
}