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{
    "id": 771149,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/771149/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 155,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Murugara",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13491,
        "legal_name": "George Gitonga Murugara",
        "slug": "george-gitonga-murugara"
    },
    "content": "It is also important to note that the Bill brings together the national and county governments so that the two can work in consultation through a consultative forum. The planning that is to take place under the guidance of the national Government is coordinated with what the county governments are also planning. In essence, it means urban areas which mostly would be under the control of the national Government would have plans that would tally with what the rural areas under the county governments have. It is also important to note that it provides for a way of executing the Act through the various functions of the organisations that are being formed to bring the Act into force. These include the national physical development plans, the regional physical development plans, the county physical development plans and the special areas plans, which must all be brought together for purposes of ensuring that our country has a system of planned development. This House will agree with me that we have left it to the citizens to plan the land for themselves. As a result, we have dotted our country with structures that are not coordinated, not well planned and to some extent, we complain that slums are mushrooming. These are towns that are not planned. Our ambulances and other emergency service vehicles cannot find their way in the unplanned settlements. Our citizens are not well protected because these services are not accessed when they are most needed. This is the reason the relevant Government organs and Ministry have come up with this Bill to try and harmonise whatever plans we have to execute on land planning. Of course, there is the enforcement bit where our citizens will have to apply for licences and permits to build, construct or develop the land, which is very important. Those plans are under the old Act. The plans are restricted to urban areas. Even in the rural areas, we would be required to present our plans so that our development plans are in consonance with the law and with the plans that have been put in place by the county governments and the national Government. We must emphasise that there is penalty for failure to comply with the Act. Therefore, as we enact this law, we must also inform the citizens that they will be required to ensure that there is a follow-up. They should know that if they do anything that contravenes the Act, there is a penalty. There is an offence that is prescribed and therefore they may find themselves in court charged with contravening the Act. This is the right time to have this law enacted. It is my humble prayer to the House that this is debated well and enacted so that we can eventually have a Physical Planning Act, 2017 which is going to last for a couple of years. We emphasise that development, just like ICT and other technologies, keep on changing from time to time. The old Physical Planning Act was enacted in 1996, which means it has served us for about 21 years. We wish that this Act will also serve us for another 20 to 30 years before we come up with different sets of laws to govern development. With those remarks, I beg to second."
}