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"id": 852629,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/852629/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
"speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
"speaker": {
"id": 440,
"legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
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"content": " Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, permit me to, first of all, congratulate the Committee and its Chairperson, Sen. M. Kajwang’, for doing a very good job despite my reservations on some of the recommendations made. I applaud their overall commitment to serve and the desire and passion they have exhibited, despite all the challenges they endured to get to the truth of this matter. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, land issues are emotive and are part of the problems of this country. I agree with Sen. (Dr.) Kabaka, who has said that even in Nairobi, we have witnessed many situations where private members of the public are being fleeced of their property. This is especially so with the ending of leases and the discussion about lease period and so on and so forth. This has become a problem and a cancer in the land sector in this country. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I also want to thank the Committee for going further ahead to look at the historical situation related to this land and even coming to the conclusion that payments have been made previously, and not just the Kshs1.5 billion. The Report has captured that there have been other previous compensations related to the property, which is along that road, and not just the Kshs1.5 billion. In addition, it has also been established elsewhere that the compensation is not just the school, but also for the roads related to the same person and land. Therefore, it seems as if that property has become a cash cow for the same people such that when they do not have money, they resort back to the same issue. Having said that, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have been a victim of such recommendations. Sometime last year, a committee of the National Assembly provided a report where one said “investigate” and another one said “indict so and so.” I, therefore, found it strange that our Committee would say that further investigation need to be done, but also that somebody should be held responsible. Granted that Parliament does enquiries on various issues that take place, however, it does not have prosecutorial powers; neither does it have the power to investigate crime for purposes of charging anybody. It is, therefore, true and right for the Committee to say that there should be further investigations, and if found culpable, people should be charged. However, to make a conclusion that this or that person should be held responsible is prejudicial. This is particularly so considering that while the Committee was making this recommendation, investigations were already ongoing by with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). We all know this because we take judicial notice of what has been The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}