Abshiro Soka Halake

All parliamentary appearances

Entries 731 to 740 of 1750.

• 29 Jan 2020 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, as it has been said, an impeachment process of course is largely concerned with abuse of power. Determining whether someone has abused power can be a bit tricky because there are no straightforward standards that can be applied that can be said fit everything. Therefore, that is the reason legal judgements have not been found to be sufficient, and our Constitution framers have seen it fit to put a process of impeachment in place for checks and balance. This is to avoid a situation where everything is about criminality, but also the political responsibility is taken care ... view
• 29 Jan 2020 in Senate: is no question in terms of the checks and the balances that we, as the Senate, should be guarding against. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me remind the House. I know we have all spoken about the oath of office. What is this oath of office that we, as Senators, that having been elected Member of the Senate, we swear in the name of God that we will bear true faith and allegiance of the people and the Republic of Kenya; that we will obey, respect, appoint, preserve, protect and defend this Constitution of the Republic of Kenya; and that we ... view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rise to support this Petition that has come through your Office. Kenyans are suffering. I sit in the Committee on Lands, Environment and Natural Resources. Many communities that have been evicted from some of these protected areas were taken there during colonial times to plant exotic forests and pave way for development in the Kenyan highlands. They did not go there voluntarily. Right now, we are made to believe that they have invaded the forests. However, at no point have these Kenyans invaded any forest. Some of them date back to the colonial times. ... view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, the evictees are the third generation since the colonial times, the all of a sudden, they have been evicted. Our Constitution is very clear on how eviction should happen, even when development is considered. What is happening now is illegal. view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: I am glad that this petition has been to the House through your office. Some of the ways in which people are evicted are brutal. I am a conservationist; I know that these people did not go there willingly, but they have been thrown out in the most inhumane manner. The duty bearer in this case is the State. We need to look into the issue of historical injustices and abuse of the rights of our people, which has happened over and over again, not just in Dundori Forest. Some of the evictees are old and have nowhere else to ... view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is a sad state of affairs if a country does not uphold the rights of its people to have a decent abode, whether or not they are squatters. Our Committee was informed that some of the evictees had been living there since the early 1940s. Such individuals are so old right now, yet they have been evicted. When compensation was being awarded, other people who were not part of that arrangement were given the land. view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: The Senate needs to investigate this matter, because our communities are being disenfranchised left, right and centre. The only source of livelihood for the evictees has been taken away. The evictees are now destitute and they live from hand to mouth. I know that the Chairperson or our Committee, Sen. Mwangi, is very passionate about ensuring that the rights of our citizens are upheld. Such eviction cases are on the rise. In the last quarter of this Session alone, we have handled more than 30 petitions relating to evictions. We, therefore, need to look into this issue holistically, because what ... view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Mr. Speaker, Sir, community forests are being gazetted and made public lands. A case in point is my own county, where communal land is being gazetted through wanton gazzetement without consideration of the communities and their livelihoods. People are being disenfranchised everywhere. Historical injustice is unacceptable. We need to consider the issue affecting land, such as gazzetement of land and rampant conversion of land from private to public; and vice versa. Many people are using gazette notices to evict poor people in the name of conservation. Some of us are conservationist, but the rights of the people should be taken ... view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I look forward to justice being served to the evictees. view
• 5 Dec 2019 in Senate: Madam Temporary Speaker, I rise to second this Motion; the Report on the 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining Minerals, metals and sustainable development on modern mining law and policy. This is a very important Report for our country as has been highlighted by the Chairperson of my Committee, the Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources. Madam Temporary Speaker, the issue of modern mining is very important especially at this time when sustainable development is key and climate change is threating our lives and livelihoods. The Chairman mentioned a lot of minerals in ... view