{"id":680636,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/680636/?format=json","text_counter":516,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Hon. ole Kenta","speaker_title":"","speaker":{"id":420,"legal_name":"Richard Moitalel ole Kenta","slug":"richard-moitalel-ole-kenta"},"content":"Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker. I would like to second the Motion. This is one of the most complex Bills that we have come across. It needed a lot of input from not only Parliament, but also the various stakeholders. It was handled admirably. I do not need to belabour what the Chairman has told the House. He did what everybody expected. There was a lot of suspicion in the beginning. Most community land is in pastoralist areas and covers two- thirds of our land mass, and there was fear that this Bill would deny them their rights. As the National Assembly, the Senate and the Mediation Committee, we ensured that the fear was put to rest. This made us believe that we can do something as a Parliament. The issue of the involvement of county governments was paramount. Community lands are held in trust by county governments. Their involvement was very important especially when it came to benefits to the communities. In some instances, land can be acquired compulsorily. If we do not protect the interests of the communities, then the proceeds might go into the wrong hands. The issue of safeguarding and ensuring that these proceeds go to the community was something important and was done by the Mediation Committee. With regard to records, whereas the national Government is the custodian of land records, the fact that those records are accessible to county governments and the NLC will ease the process of land transactions in the country. This has been ensured and this is commendable."}