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{
    "id": 539752,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/539752/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 170,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Chebet",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 550,
        "legal_name": "Susan Kipketer Chebet",
        "slug": "susan-kipketer-chebet"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, for this opportunity. I support the Bill. At the outset, I want to appreciate the Committee for coming up with this Bill. Overtime, we have witnessed problems whenever we approached administrative agents, as members of the public. When jargon is used in language, it sometimes becomes a barrier of communication between public servants and members of the public. They may not understand and may require an interpretation. In some cases, administration of justice is denied to the public because of lack of understanding or even where the agencies are not available or they are not willing to provide the required information. Information is very crucial for the public and if it is denied, then it means they are not going to benefit from the services of the administration. We know about licensing of businesses and environmental impact assessment when it comes to land and environment. Sometimes members of the public do not get adequate information so that they can act accordingly. Sometimes, when they seek legal redress, unless they are represented by a lawyer, administrative justice will take forever for them to be attended to and have their cases concluded. Those are some of the things that this Bill is addressing. We know about delays from administrative agencies, having witnessed them over time. Once this Bill becomes law, it should be able to address such issues. Land issues, for example, are the common problems, in respect of which members of the public do not get justice. I want to cite the issue of compulsory acquisition of land by the Government. I have in mind the land that is currently owned by Fluorspar Company in Elgeyo Marakwet County. Forty years ago, the Government acquired that land compulsorily, resulting in the displacement of an entire community. Later on, the ownership of that land was transferred to an individual company for mining purposes.Up to now the land issue has not been resolved and the community has not been compensated. The legal instruments and the administration agencies have not been able to conclude that case. Most of the people who owned the communal land have died and there is a new generation which is trying to re-start the issue. If we had a law like this one in place, this problem would have been solved. About pensioners, we have teachers in this country who retired about 20 years ago and yet they have not been paid their pensions because of the red tape that is in the administrative agencies. There is a lot of suffering out there. We are looking forward to this Bill being amended so that it adequately addresses the problems facing the citizens of this country. Indeed, they are suffering. We look forward to something that will give us a fair deal so that we have a win-win situation for Kenyans who are unable to access justice. With those few remarks, I support the Bill. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}