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{
    "id": 664686,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/664686/?format=api",
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    "content": "Group. I do not know why the Senate Majority Leader is not a Member, but he ought to be. Sen. Lesuuda is officially a Member and there are a lot of things that have been raised in so far as this Bill is concerned. However, having gone through all the negotiations and come through the National Assembly, I believe that the issues have been ironed out. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill is critical in unlocking the potential of almost 80 per cent of the land mass in Kenya. Can you believe that pastoralist areas in the country occupy 80 per cent of the land mass? Largely, these areas have not been adjudicated. Therefore, it is necessary that legal instruments are put in place to ensure that the communities which live in the pastoralist areas take advantage of the benefits that come with land adjudication, land registration and land titling and they can use their land for investment purposes. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, if you read some areas in the previous Energy Bill that we discussed here, you will realise that most of the areas where oil exploration is taking place are largely are part and parcel of community land. This law is very necessary. It provides the role of county governments in management of community land, working together with the NLC to ensure that community land interests are protected until such time that a conversion is done to either private or public land. It also provides the procedure for recognition and adjudication of community land. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, Clause 8 is very critical because the CS has a responsibility to issue a public notice on survey, demarcation and registration of community land. That notice must reach everybody. There is a stampede now for people who have migrated initially from community lands to urban areas or the White Highlands areas like Uasin Gishu. For example, people have been moving from Elgeyo- Marakwet and Kerio Valley to Uasin Gishu. Because of the benefits that are now beginning to be discovered in the pastoralist areas, you can see that many people are going back to those places. It is important that proper notice is given and proper dispute settlement mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that conflicts that are related to conversions of these lands from community to private land do not lead to unnecessary fights, squabbles and conflicts and derail development in our counties and marginalised areas. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, this Bill also provides for administration and management of community land, especially the functions and powers of the Community Land Management Committee which must be established as far as Clause 15 of the Bill is concerned. The functions of that committee involves running day-to-day functions, administering land on behalf of the community, coordinating and developing community land and promoting cooperation and participation, among all the members of the community on the management and benefits of the land. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, after leaving the School of Law, I spent many years dealing with registration and providing constitutions for community lands in Laikipia County. I learnt a lot that if proper management structures are not put in place, some members of the community can easily disenfranchise others, particularly those who may have been widowed or without education. Therefore, the county government, being a trustee of the community, will assist the community to put in place proper management structures and systems that will ensure that everybody is taken care of. It 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"
}