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{
    "id": 93748,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/93748/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 297,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Mr. Orengo",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Lands",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 129,
        "legal_name": "Aggrey James Orengo",
        "slug": "james-orengo"
    },
    "content": "In this country the amount of public land that was taken away from the public, and then used for speculation, or is being sold back to the Government, is of such a magnitude that investors simply say: “We cannot. Whatever kind of investment that we want to make on that piece of land if we are to buy it, is not worth it. We cannot see the returns”. So, we must be vigilant; anybody who took any public land, whatever the consideration, must give it back. I am not saying that we will do it in a manner that does not recognize due process. It is important, if Kenya is to move forward, that we get back the amount of land available out there. For example, in Kenya we are doing very well with conference tourism. People want to build the kind of state of the art conference facilities that you get in some of the other conference destinations. There have been investors coming to look for land to do a grand convention centre. But they want you to give them an offer that is consumerate with the investment. You will find that Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala are catching up with us because the kind of hotels and conference facilities that are coming up far much surpasse ours. In the last ten or 15 years we have not built any major conference facility in this country. Even in other areas like in industries we cannot simply attract investment because land has become too expensive. Therefore, we must continue with the process of recovering public land and making it available to our people and for purposes of investment. My colleague, the Assistant Minister, was talking about allotment letters. Allotment letters are not legal instruments. If you have an allotment letter, it is an offer by the Government which you have got to accept within 30 days. That acceptance is conditional upon you doing several things. So, if you do a major development on the basis of a letter of allotment, that investment is unsafe until you get a title deed. For that matter, I also want to use this opportunity to say that if you have a title deed for a lease upon certain conditions, there has been the habit that some people, when they get approved plans from City Hall, they think that they can proceed to construct facilities. Those approved plans must always be made available to the Commissioner of Lands, who, in consultations with the Director of Physical Planning, will then make a determination whether that development is in keeping with the conditions of the lease. Enforcement is everything. If there is an unauthorized structure, let us say, in the City of Nairobi we should not sympathize with that development. This major highway that is being done along Waiyaki Highway and Uhuru Highway to the airport and up to Machakos, there are so many challenges involved. Around Mlolongo, you will find that land which the Government spent money to acquire compulsorily was again given out to private individuals by the Municipal Council of Mavoko, or through our Ministry. The Government has to buy that land back at an extra cost. Those who want to carry out any development should make sure that their final stop is not the local authority. You must talk with the Director of Physical Planning now, and even more importantly than with the Commissioner of Lands because planning is everything. On the issue of the issuance of title deeds, I think it is a national problem. Without funds, it is difficult to make it effective everywhere. Now that my time has run out, I beg to move and hope that you will support me in this issue. Thank you very much."
}