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{
    "id": 627590,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/627590/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ekomwa",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2940,
        "legal_name": "James Lomenen Ekomwa",
        "slug": "james-lomenen-ekomwa"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Speaker, I rise to support this Bill. This is an important Bill as far as pastoralists are concerned. We have been waiting for this Bill because we have been short- changed by many investors and groups interested in grabbing our land. The first statement I want to make is that I support the Bill because everybody has been given an opportunity to take care of his or her resources. When people were busy selling their land and having title deeds, we were very patient as pastoralists because we have a philosophy of sharing resources. As far as pastoralists are concerned, the most important issue in this Bill, as provided by the Article 67 of the Constitution which is very clear, is that community land is communally owned. The authority and ownership rests purely on the community. This Bill must be very clear that in the pastoral communities no one has authority to sell or own land. The land is owned communally. The Bill should be clear that in the pastoral communities, no one has the mandate to sell any piece of land to anyone. The land belongs to the whole community. What remains is either for the county or national Government to strengthen ownership of this land by the community. Those who are involved must clearly know that we own land communally because we have a culture of using land communally. We graze and live together. For example, as a Member of Parliament, the land I live on is not mine. It belongs to the community. If I live somewhere that has good pasture and it happens that there is drought, all the people from the furthest corners will bring their animals there. You cannot stop them. So, when you say that a certain piece land has been registered to a specific people, you are denying individuals from other areas the right to own it. I want us to understand that in the pastoral areas land is owned communally. There are people who take care of these pieces of land on behalf of the others, so that any time we want to use it, we can. It cannot be owned by an individual. 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."
}