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"id": 79287,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/79287/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Lekuton",
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"speaker": {
"id": 66,
"legal_name": "Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton",
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"content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is very clear that the Samburu land that is gazetted by the Kenya Armed Forces, which is used by the British Army, is prime for British Army training. Given that background, I would like to ask the Assistant Minister to clarify a few points. On the issue of the number of people injured, he said that there are no such reports. Victims from the Samburu community filed a court case in the United Kingdom and, with the help of the Kenya Army, about seven years ago, about 717 people who were maimed were compensated with millions of Sterling Pounds by the British Army. How come now the Kenya Army has said that they have no reports of such deaths when Archerâs Police Post has hundreds of Occurrence Book (OB) reports of people who have lost their legs and hands through bomb accidents? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the other point is on encroachment of land outside the gazetted training area. I have a copy of the gazetted land, and I speak Samburu very well. I know all the areas the Assistant Minister is referring to. The British Army have gone beyond the gazetted area and built permanent camps in private land which they call âgroup ranchesâ. The other point is on the MOU. How can we, in any society where people can think of right and wrong, have foreign forces training on our soil in Samburu without an understanding between us and them, so that they should have some social responsibility? What they have here is not more than 4 million for 35 years. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the last issue is that of encroachment. They have been to Kauro, Dadendea and Kom, which border Laisamis. They have built in Romotonyi, and I dare this Assistant Minister to deny that fact. Specifically, Maj-Gen. Nkaisserry was in the Kenya Army. He knows what I am talking about. He served in those areas. We know that even at the moment, the British Army trains on private land owned by British citizen in Laikipia, and the owners get compensated to the tune of millions of Sterling Pounds. For example, the British Army train in Mpala Ranch. How can the Kenya Army, which owns this land, allow the British Army to train for free while the same British Army pays the white ranchers, who are very wealthy? Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, in my opinion, that is shear discrimination, and I think the Kenya Army do not care much about the people of this country, and specifically the people of Samburu. If you go to Archerâs Post today, you will be surprised to see people without legs and hands, and the Assistant Minister has the audacity to tell us that they have no idea whether anyone has been killed or maimed by the British Army bombs. I rest my case there as I wait to contribute later."
}