{"id":93156,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/93156/?format=json","text_counter":57,"type":"speech","speaker_name":"Mr. ole Metito","speaker_title":"The Assistant Minister for Regional Development Authorities","speaker":{"id":199,"legal_name":"Judah Katoo Ole-Metito","slug":"judah-ole-metito"},"content":" Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to reply. (a) Yes, I am aware that there is a boundary dispute between TARDA and farmers along Masinga Dam at Katiule within Masinga Constituency. (b) TARDA surveyors have not encroached on the farmers’ land as alleged. But, on the contrary, the farmers have encroached on the riparian buffer zone on TARDA’s land which the Authority bought and compensated the original owners between 1979 and 1982. The local community has disregarded TARDA’s boundaries and currently farming within the riparian buffer zone, thereby, environmentally degrading the dams. In actual fact, the Authority surveyors who are on site were re-establishing their land boundary as per Survey Plan FR149/2-3 from the Survey of Kenya. (c) TARDA has already initiated a formal process of resolving the dispute as required by the law. In this regard, the Authority has written to the Director of Survey to intervene and resolve the conflict amicably. I wish to conclude by stating that the conservation of Masinga Dam is of great importance not only to TARDA, but to the entire nation as a whole and should be continued."}