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{
    "id": 505308,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/505308/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 177,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Musila",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 94,
        "legal_name": "David Musila",
        "slug": "david-musila"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, for giving me this opportunity to make my contribution to this Bill, which I support subject to the views which I will express here. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I agree with those who raised earlier objections to the continuation of this debate on very important matters which we intend to amend. I also understand that this Bill has been in the Senate for a long time; from July until now. I would like to know whether before this Bill went through the National Assembly, they did public hearings on the amendments that were proposed. This is because we would have taken comfort in those public hearings. At least, we would have a record of what the views of the public on some of these proposed amendments were. Given that we do not have that information, I think that there is a very strong case; that the matters that are proposed to be amended in this Bill be subjected to public hearings as we proceed. This is because it will not be proper for some of these weighty amendments to be undertaken without consulting the public. I say this because even the Chair of the Transition Authority (TA) has already raised concern, that many Bills which have been passed by the National Assembly and even by the Senate have not gone through that process, which is against the Constitution. On the issue of land, this afternoon you heard me raise the issue of a trust land in Kitui called Kanyonyoni, where agencies of the Government have grabbed 400 acres contrary to the Constitution. This is because the management of trust lands which are now being converted into community lands lies on the country government and the National Land Commission. But in this case, some people just took the land, because it was a transition period; just before the new county governments took over. This is a subject of discussion in this House. I support the trust lands being made community land. This is because “trust land” was a term that was used to give land to be in trust for the public. But those who were given trust to look after that land did not think that this land belonged to the public or community. They just dished it away. Therefore, when it is community land – which means that it is owned by the people – one will think twice before playing around with it, without the consent of the community. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, on the Urban Areas and Cities Act, there is a proposal to reduce the number of inhabitants in a city from 500,000 to 250,000. I really do not understand this. Further, the number in municipalities has been reduced to 70,000. We are inviting chaos in the management of urban areas in this country. I recall sometime ago, there was a Minister for Local Government whom I would not like to mention, who used to go round dishing out municipalities all over without any formula. We ended up with mushrooming municipalities. Some did not even qualify and others did not even The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}