Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 815874,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/815874/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 195,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "For example, there is a boundary dispute between Isiolo and Meru counties. Once we have this particular legislation in place, then it will be possible for counties to sort out disputes or even plan on how land will be utilised. It is clearly stated how the inter- county physical planning should be done. The plan is supposed to be adopted by relevant county assemblies and that is important because it gives mandate for counties to manage and govern their affairs. Another thing I want to speak to is the issue of county physical planning. This Bill mandates each county to prepare a county physical planning development plan every 10 years. This is not provided for in the current legislation. This will guide most of the counties because there are changes and the demand for land is also going up. If physical plans for counties are reviewed, then it will help counties to have proper use of land. In this Bill, one of the functions of the county physical development plan will be to provide an overall physical development framework for the county and guide rural development settlement. If you go to most of the counties, you will find that there is no proper planning in place because people are building houses on drainages and even on road reserves. Once we have this in place, it will help counties to sort out the issues. Where I come from, whenever it rains, we have problems with the drainage and most of the places are flooded. If we have proper framework and planning in place, then our counties will be guided. The Bill also provides for the Local Physical Development Plan (LPDP) whereby a county government will be required to prepare a development plan for each city, municipality or town and classified urban areas within the respective county. The plan will, among other things, provide for zoning urban renewal or development areas. Recently, in most counties, governors were running around establishing municipalities and urban areas without proper public participation and explanation on whether the municipalities and cities are important to the counties. I am grateful to this Bill because it provides for public participation in terms of how cities and municipalities will be established. Public participation is critical in terms of our constitutional provision. The other issue I want to speak to is the special planning areas. This law will give county governments powers to declare special areas within the counties. This is critical because you will find that people settle in areas that are meant for development or public utilities and sometimes after development it is hard to evict them from those areas. Once we have this legislation in place, it will sort out our challenges and demarcate areas meant for development. I also want to talk about development control where individuals will be required to apply for authorization for development purposes. In other areas people do not care. They do not apply for authorization, for example, if they want to establish a hotel or residential place. They just come up with their own plans. This Bill will sort out most of these issues because it seeks to restrict the development of buildings and land. It also requires developers to get development permission from the relevant planning authorities before undertaking any development. This is very important because the plan has to be approved. It also makes it an offence to carry out development without obtaining permission. 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."
}