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{
    "id": 851047,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/851047/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 378,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. M Kajwang’",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13162,
        "legal_name": "Moses Otieno Kajwang'",
        "slug": "moses-otieno-kajwang"
    },
    "content": "counties.’ A court of law recently ruled that counties cannot grant or dispose of land without involving the NLC. However, it was silent on whether counties must involve the NLC in acquiring land. We have seen in the County Public Accounts and Investment Committee almost every county is acquiring land here and there for establishment of stadia, markets and bus stages. In many of these cases, the land price is grossly inflated. However, the counties do it by following their own procurement laws. If the NLC is not involved at the point of acquisition, then it becomes a bit cumbersome for it to be involved only at the point of disposal. I hope that as we continue through the Committees Stage, we can put in some provisions because this then will go to an amendment of the Lands Act that will provide clarity on how and where the NLC comes in when a county wants to buy land. If the NLC was to stick to its objectives and be faithful to its mandate, I would have no problem saying that for every county that wants to buy land, the NLC must be involved. For custody of those records, there has to be cross-reference to NLC and the lands registry. For disposal and grants of lands, the NLC must also be involved. Our job as Senate is to find out ways in which we can help and strengthen counties in their roles. Finally, in providing my support to this Bill, we, as a country, must be radical. Sen. Orengo spoke very softly, but he said very radical things. He referred us to Article 61 of the Constitution. It says: “All land in Kenya belongs to the people of Kenya.” I could clearly see he was trying to remind us that this business of individual ownership of land and hoarding of land is against the principle of the Constitution. The land needs to go back to the people of Kenya. It needs to go back to the communities of Kenya. We need to take these lands from private hands in order to allow the State to do proper planning. We are not talking collectivism or Ujamaa that failed in Tanzania. However, we are talking of a much more pragmatic land tenure system that allows the State to carry out development and that takes away this limited resource from the hands of the few redistributing it to everyone because, at the end of the day, the much land that a man needs is six feet wide and six feet deep. With those many remarks, I beg to support."
}