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{
    "id": 726413,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/726413/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 807,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Okoth",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 12482,
        "legal_name": "Kenneth Odhiambo Okoth",
        "slug": "kenneth-odhiambo-okoth"
    },
    "content": "resettlement plan. It is not my personal opinion but the law of Kenya, which is the guiding standard for the many treaties that we have signed. Our Constitution speaks about socio-economic and cultural rights, including the right to housing. We are now talking about a national drought, including the right to food and freedom from hunger. I want to talk about the right to housing. Housing is a devolved function, but it is shared between the national Government and to a large extent, with our county governments. To talk about the Tassia Project really brings to us the reality of what is the status of the right to housing in Nairobi County, and what can be done to make sure that all Nairobians enjoy the right that is written in the Constitution – to provide housing of a decent standard that has adequate supplies of water and sewerage, and a health environment to live in. I feel it is not just Nairobi County, but many of our major cities. As people move in, in huge numbers and they are coming to settlements like Kibra, Korogocho and Soweto, they are really finding themselves in a place where the planning has not been up to par. If NSSF really wanted to invest and create affordable low or middle cost housing to accommodate all the people who are moving to the City, we applaud them. But I still think the problem is huge. It is not a problem that was created by the county government. But it is now a problem that must be solved by our county governments. In Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nakuru, we must make sure that our urban areas are decent and liveable places. As the county government embarks on reconstruction and engaging public private partnerships and opportunities such as Tassia, the NSSF is a potential source of major cash to invest in major programmes. We also have the World Bank and other donors. We really need to look into places like Shauri Moyo, Makadara, Railways and other estates. All those places are going to be changed. In my constituency, there is talk about renovating and re-doing Woodley and bringing it up as a new type of neighbourhood with many more houses. We must make sure that those procedures are done in a way that the people who already live there are compensated. There is a report in the newspaper today by the World Bank talking about one billion dollars’ worth of land in Kibra within the slum area. That is foregone revenue for the Government of Kenya. If the Government went ahead and issued a title properly and took care of the interests of all the people who live there, the Government would be getting that money rather than the people who own and run the facilities and the houses there in Kibra as slum lords. So, I think there is a lot of things that need to be done for reconstruction and all stakeholders should come to the table. It is not something that is impossible if we put our heads and hearts to it as leaders of this country. Nairobi can be a model county in which we renovate our old estates and renew and build them to meet the needs of today and the growing population, including the young people who cannot even start to dream and hope that one day, they can own a house in Nairobi. It is really overpriced. I finish up by talking about the concept of trusteeship and stewardship. We are talking about the NSSF in a country like Kenya where our money and equity markets are not that advanced. The Nairobi Stock Exchange is still relatively small. Many people cannot invest their own money to guarantee enough money for retirement. They are relying on pooling their money through this social security fund. It is their only public safety net for their old age. When people retire at 60 or 65 and they are going to live to be 70, 80 or 90; 15, 20 or 30 years later, they really need a retirement and pension plan that works for them. We need trustees and stewards of such investment groups. We have seen this even in the railway retirees’ asset fund where people are careless with the destinies of our old people who have worked honestly and have saved for their pensions, and then the investments that are being done do not have a good return on money. You 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."
}