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{
    "id": 712524,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/712524/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 527,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Sakaja",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13131,
        "legal_name": "Johnson Arthur Sakaja",
        "slug": "johnson-arthur-sakaja"
    },
    "content": "The gist of that philosophy of utilitarianism is that the best action is the action that derives the greater good for the greatest number of people. This is what this Bill seeks to streamline and to achieve. Indeed, there have been cases where for the greater good of the public, land belonging to one individual or a specific community might need to be acquired by an agency of the Government whether the national Government or the county government, so that more than just the people in that specific piece of land benefit. This happens the world over, but in Kenya, because of the lack of streamlined laws and procedures to be followed, individuals very easily stand in the way of this kind of land acquisition. This means that because of either the individualistic nature or the economically competitive nature of how things have been in this country, one feels that because of their own benefit, they want to hike the price that they give to the Government. We have heard Hon. Katoo talking about speculations where people run to a particular area. A good example is the LAPPSET Project. Everyone has lined up and bought pieces of land across the corridor of LAPPSET from Isiolo onwards, so that they can benefit as individuals. The provisions of this Bill will help us to avoid such situations. I remember a case here in Nairobi along Ngong Road from Karen where the rest of the road was done apart from one small section. It remained undone because an individual refused his house to be moved. He said that his house could not be moved until full compensation was done. He argued about the rate at which it must be done. For him, it was not about the millions of road users, from Ngong, Ongata Rongai and Kiserian, who would benefit from that road and the millions of school children who would benefit from that road, but rather, it was about him as an individual. It is actually about an individual’s personal economic fortunes. As Kenyans, indeed, we have become competitive to afford as a country. I miss the days when people, especially in cities like Nairobi where I was born and raised, would borrow salt from each other as neighbours and children would play with others. For example, we would be in Mama Akinyi’s house and then go to Mama Mwangi’s house. There was a sense of community. Today, we are very selfish. We are always trying to get ahead. I tell people that no individual in a society can ever get ahead by trying to get even. That is the very reason I support this Bill. I am glad because of the kind of clauses it is bringing with it. As spelt out in the Memorandum, the Vision 2030 is anchored on a lot of infrastructural projects that will help all of our lives. We have heard about the SGR and the frivolous and vexatious cases that have come up because of land compensation even in your county of Makueni. People do not want to move. They are saying the land is theirs. Somebody acquires a piece of land and they try to haggle about how much to get from that land and yet the benefit to the entire country, the East African region and even Africa as a continent, is immense. You know, of course, God willing or i nshallah, I seek to be the Governor of Nairobi. I hope I will be. There are certain things that we have to do in this city that will need acquisition of land. For instance, there is no city the size and scale of Nairobi that does not have a Mass Transit System. The plans have been done and I would like to refute what Hon. Kiuna has said. It is not the plan that was done before, but we have recent plans. Master plans have been done by, say, 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."
}