Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 625247,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/625247/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 103,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Nyenze",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 1987,
        "legal_name": "Francis Mwanzia Nyenze (Deceased)",
        "slug": "francis-mwanzia-nyenze"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, Hon. Speaker for giving me this chance. Over the weekend, I was in my constituency, where I talked until my voice became hoarse. Despite my hoarse voice, I will contribute to this debate. I am happy that the Committee did a good job. They consulted more than 27 groups. It is good that whenever we deal with a Bill touching on land, we consult our public to know their interests. That is what the Committee has done and that is why I support the Bill. Earlier on, I raised concern that the powers that were conferred on the CS in the Ministry of Lands were too much. I suggested that those powers be given to the communities that have lived on their native land for a long time. It is good that this Bill gives us an opportunity to secure the rights of our communities. We know the communities that have suffered. From history, I know that Nairobi was initially occupied by the Maasai community, who were subsequently pushed to Narok and Kajiado. The Maasai have lost most of their community land. Prior to colonialism, many pastoral communities owned huge tracts of land. I was initially against this Bill because it has not provided for compensation of a community like the Maasai that has lost a lot of land to government prospects. Most of the land was not sold but grabbed. Where it was sold, it was sold without the Maasai people understanding their rights to that land. I would, therefore, say that they were exploited. This Bill should have talked about compensation of such communities. In as much as the Maasai is not the only community that has lost land, it has lost most of its land. Therefore, I will be moving some amendments to include the issue of compensation. Hon. Speaker, this Bill has many positive things. For instance, it has recognized customary rights to occupy land. Instead of leaving such communities to the mercy of county governments, the NLC and the Ministry of Lands, this Bill gives the communities power to protect their own land. Clause 9 of this Bill talks about community land. It creates the Office of the Community Land Registrar, who will deal with matters of registration of community land. Clause 21 addresses the role of communities in conservation and management of community lands. The county governments have promised investors land that does not belong to them. In Kitui County, where I come from, there is a tract of land called B2, which was used for ranching. Before colonialism, the said land belonged to the people of Kitui but it was subsequently taken away from them. This Bill seeks to address past practices which facilitated the stealing of land from communities. The other reason why I support this Bill is that the communities who were moved from their land through laws put in place by the British colonial administration and independent Kenyan regimes will get back their land. The county governments have no business controlling them. We do not want to hear governors telling communities who live on such lands, like B2 and Yatta Ranch in Kitukuni, to move out because they have no land. 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."
}