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{
"id": 691144,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/691144/?format=api",
"text_counter": 212,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Letimalo",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 68,
"legal_name": "Raphael Lakalei Letimalo",
"slug": "raphael-letimalo"
},
"content": "Even though they have contributed a lot in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), we still have some concerns. In 1977, the Government of Kenya set aside some land for military training. The Commissioner of Lands, vide Kenya Gazette Notice No. 3210 of 31st October 1977, set aside 83,327 acres for military training. But one major problem when it comes to issues of land is that even though there is land that has been set aside and gazetted for military training, both KDF and the British Army have encroached into community land. That is one of our major concerns. They go beyond the gazetted land without the consent of the community. That is land that has been subdivided into group ranches. The group ranches have office-bearers whom they can talk to and seek their consent if they want to go beyond the gazetted land. They use community land without the consent of the community and they do not compensate them at all. That is a matter of concern. Two, still on the issue of land, there is a lot of concern. We are aware that the British Army carries out their military exercises in individual private ranches and they pay them. If they can pay for the use of private ranches, why can they not pay the community? This is a matter of concern. We want the Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations to take this into account. The Agreement we are approving today, and I hope that it will be supported by the House, should be able to address some of the concerns that have been raised by the community. Another matter of concern is the unexploded ordinances that are left behind after military training exercises. As it has been said, when the military carry out their training exercises, they are supposed, by practice and law, to clear off the training fields to ensure that any unexploded ordinances are removed. Given that that area is still a communal grazing land, many herders, both the youth and adults, have been injured and some of them have even lost their lives. The point of concern is that if anybody is injured, both KDF and the British Army are not concerned to even take them to hospital. That is left to the relatives or they just die. I think it is important that in this Agreement, KDF and the British Army take responsibility for any injuries. Those who commit those crimes should be held accountable because most of those reports are taken to the police. That is why I expected that under public participation, which is provided for in the Constitution, the Chairman of the Committee should, at least, have visited this area. In the 10th Parliament, I took up this matter with the same Committee. They visited the area and we went round. We even saw some military camps that had been built outside the gazetted area. I think they should have visited the area to get those kinds of views. We ask that the military officers be held responsible should any injury arise as a result of non-clearance of those unexploded ordinances. On the question of CSR, as I have said, we really appreciate their support. But I think it is important for those concerned to take it up with the political leadership and the community to determine the priorities of the people. This is a semi-arid area, whose economic activity is livestock rearing. What is important for the people there is water. Provision of water will limit the movement of the people with their livestock. They may not even encroach on the gazetted land. It is important that they involve local leadership so that priorities can be considered. On the issue of employment, we appreciate because many casuals have been engaged. But I think it is unfair to have so many casuals working beyond the recommended period, whereas it is possible that some of them can be given permanent employment. Every other time, the British Army works in shifts and it is the locals who guard those camps. So, it is important that they also provide permanent jobs. Equally, we believe that, specifically, the people have benefited a lot, even based on what the Member has said, but there are certain jobs or contracts 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."
}