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{
    "id": 777299,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/777299/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 260,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Seneta",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 611,
        "legal_name": "Mary Yiane Senata",
        "slug": "mary-yiane-senata"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, thank you for giving me the opportunity to add my voice to this important policy. From the outset, I would like to state that this is a timely policy because it has come at a time when one of our Government agendas is setting up low cost housing. It has also come at a time when we are concentrating on devolution. Therefore, if this policy is going to be implemented, then it will help our counties to plan well. This policy is also timely because planning has been devolved to our counties. Therefore, this is a policy that we require at this particular time when we are moving towards county development. When you visit various places in this country today, you will realize that we are not talking about slums alone, but also about poor commercial buildings. There is another phenomenon that is coming up of poor commercial buildings called kiosks. These container houses are being erected everywhere around our urban centres. When you visit our urban areas today, everyone is erecting a container along the road on top of sewer lines. People are just building informal shelters to house their businesses or just to use it as a house. Therefore, planning is what we generally need. I do not think that we need a policy framework in this country. What we need is serious implementation and follow-up of these very nice programmes that we have. We have already put in place the Physical Planning Bill, which I remember we passed in the 11th Parliament. We also already have several Sessional Papers on slums upgrading. We even have the Physical Planning Act, which spells out many issues on slum upgrading. Therefore, what we are lacking as a country is the implementation by our ministries of these blueprints that we came up with. Looking at this policy or Sessional Paper, I see a very nice policy framework on the issue of socio-economic matrix on security and delivery of services in these slums. However, what we need to think of is the issue of possibly going into partnership so as to come up with low-cost housing for our poor population. This is because the reasons slums sprout up in our urban centres are; many low income earners, lack of employment and big populations in our cities. Therefore, I think it will be a good idea to think of how to empower our people for them to pay for decent houses. The country can also partner with private organisations in offering low-cost housing to our population. By doing this, it will go a long way in eradicating unplanned informal settlements that we see in our country. The other thing that we also need to look into is the issue of planning and zoning in our counties. We need to specify the areas where we should build low-cost housing units and put up commercial buildings and industries. If we do not zone and plan our counties, we shall have a similar situation to what we have in Nairobi where slums are built next to high-rise houses. What we see in our counties today is a mess. People are building homes next to industries and even within the town centres. You will get all sorts of houses coming up in our towns without planning and basic services like water, electricity and proper sewerage. Therefore, if we can encourage and promote proper planning and management of our lands in our counties, we shall prevent slums coming up. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}