Terry Kairu for Kiambu Senate

“No where in the constitution does it say land policy is one where 50 people should own 5 million acres of land when 5 million others live as squatters,” says Terry Kairu aspirant for Kiambu Senate. Terry knows very well there is little progress a country can achieve without the right land policy. “Everyday you will hear news of landowners stopping projects that will give Kenyans homes and jobs from being developed! Tatu city project, 4 ways junction project and others are now in courts. Once elected I will lead to pass laws that will make every person who owns land to clearly understand that land was created by God to sustain life. The laws will ensure no project giving Kenyans jobs, food and shelter is ever halted or stopped because of land issue.” Terry is passionate. One thing is for sure, if she is elected as Kiambu Senator the discussion of land will be held and the right laws passed. She says, “I can assure you that Kenyans will not go hungry when just a few hold thousands of acres of land!”

Q. What is the best land policy for a country?

A. The best Land Policy for any country, as you find in many developed countries, is one created to sustain the life in the country. For Kenya land policy to be considered as a good policy it should meet the people’s needs of food, shelter and enable Kenyans to live in a healthy and secure environment. It should be a policy that ensures there are no squatters in the country. A policy that recognizes God created the land not to be owned by a few people through unfair and unjust means but for sustenance of life. A policy that ensures that 50% of the land is never allocated but left as created for wildlife use. News stories like the former President Moi selling 17,000 acres to Kenya Wildlife Service would never occur with a good policy. This land should never have been put to private title in the first place.  

Q. You hear someone has 2000 acres or 10,000 acres allocated and for the last 20 years the land has produced nothing to benefit Kenya. What would you legislate, as Senator, to become the law? 

A. This is the definition of corruption and poor management of natural resources. As Senator I would advance laws that lead to land utilization to benefit all Kenyans. Under the Economic platform that is being advanced by the Kenyans abroad, land efficiency is one of the key points that will lead to the creation of 5 million new jobs. If one is holding a title of land on leasehold for 100 acres and above, I’m ready to legislate that the land be put to economic use in 90 days and the owner pay a land rate of Kshs 10,000 per acre every year. I can assure you that Kenyans will not go hungry when just a few hold thousands of acres of land. Article 60 of the Constitution is very clear on the Land policy being one of sustaining life. No where in the constitution does it say land policy is one where 50 people should own 5 million acres of land when 5 million others live as squatters. 

Q. Someone sells land for say Kshs 400 million based on roads created by the public. Would you be willing to have a capital gain tax due to the fact that the land value grew because of being serviced by good roads and not necessary any invention by the land owner?

A. Yes. Land value normally increases after the land is serviced by a paved road. All roads are created through the collective tax that Kenyans pay through their daily labor. We cannot be collecting taxes from labor, Income tax, to build roads so those buying land for speculative purposes to benefit. Any land sale should attract a capital gains tax to contribute to finance of the roads.   

Q. Who would you consider as the landowners of land in Regions where there are squatters and land disputes. The people as God created them in the land today called ‘Squatters’ or the government officials who allocated themselves the land? 

A.  The new constitution once passed declared all land in Kenya as owned by the people in Kenya. Unfortunately we now know that through abuse of power there has been allocation of land even when indigenous people lived in the land. The people living in this land are called “Squatters” even though God created them in the land and someone else was allocated the created title. This is a correction I look forward to work on and create a law that erases this injustice. Just recently I read that the cabinet is freezing selling of land to avoid grabbing as government changes next election. Unfortunately this is a weak approach. Kenyans can be assured that once they elect the right team those few people who consider grabbing public land will go to jail. I do not mind legislating even 20 years jail time to those who steal from the public.    

Q. How would you tailor the land policy going forward if elected in the senate?  

A. A country is made up of land, natural resources, and living things. Kenya is a country made up of about 145 million acres of land, 41 million people, diverse wildlife and other living things. The land policy should look at how best the 145 million acres will serve the 41 million, the wildlife and living things in it and project toward the future. By 2030 Kenya population should be about 60 million people. The policy we put now should be able to meet the demands of our future generation for food, water, settlements and security without reducing the wildlife. I will listen to the best ideas on this and work closely to see the best vision is achieved. Borrowing from the developed world our obligation should be to leave the country better than we found it. Unfortunately the land policies of the last 50 years have led to slums, hunger, water catchments destruction, wildlife decrease, forest destruction and other conditions that do not sustain life.    

Q. Implementation of the Constitution Articles on land through parliament is allocated 18 months to 5 years. If elected would you wait until the last day allocated to pass a bill? 

A.  No. This was one of the factors that propelled me to seek elective office. Where we can advance a bill to benefit Kenyans we will do so as fast as possible. Waiting for the last moment shows that the leaders are lazy and ineffective. These two words are not part of my DNA or my work ethic.    

Q. In your opinion how do the land laws affect the Kenyans in Diaspora?  

A. The Land Laws affect Kenyans in Diaspora in various ways. The Kenyans looking to Invest many a time find it difficult after unscrupulous land lords and corrupt public servants sell fake documents or land as was the case in Nairobi. The second way is that with little or no development in Kenya, the Diaspora will keep working to send money. When we say the Diaspora sent $1 billion this can also be mean the Diaspora worked 100 million hours and donated this money to Kenyans. With good land laws there would be many jobs created and the donations would become investments. Thirdly the land laws affect the Diaspora in loses made in land offices where a lot of time and money is wasted for lack of a clear fee structure and time schedule. The Diaspora can be assured if they support the Kenyans from abroad they will be investing more and not making donations. They can be assured there will be a clear process of completing a transaction of land and no one will be exploited as investments are encouraged. The land laws and acquisition process have made Kenya one of the most unfavorable places to invest in and these needs to change.

Q. Do you think the current parliament will pass a bill to create a minimum and maximum private land acreage holding as required in Article 68 of the constitution or will it take the new body of elected leaders to create the right law?

A. I believe if the current Parliament was interested in this we would by now know what this bill will entail. We currently have a very incompetent parliament if you look at the laws they were authorized to pass through the directive of the constitution passed. Legislating bills to lead to the elections been held on second Tuesday of August has proved undoable. I don’t think they will pass a good Land Bill, February, as required by the constitution considering most of them have in the past benefitted from large parcels of land. However, the 20 million voters of Kenya will get the chance to legislate this bill with their vote 2012 by sending the people who clearly tell them the way they will legislate this bill. Again as noted any bill should be one that ensures that the 40 million people every day have a good day of life. 

Q. What would you tell the 1 million families all over the country that are called squatters in their own country when less than 100 families own more than 2 million acres. And many of these 100 families are the people they elect?

A. I would tell them they have the power to change this with there vote. I would tell them the Kenyans from abroad coming to run can offer them the best chance to improving the quality of life. It is unfortunate that 100 families who own more than 2 million acres of land in leasehold or private use do not see themselves as the persons who have destroyed the economy, but as the best people to lead after grabbing this land. One thing I know is under the Kenyans abroad platform we shall not lead Kenya to food shortages and people living in poverty and slums because someone owns thousands of acres of land they in the first place did not create. Everyday you will hear news of landowners stopping projects that will give Kenyans homes and jobs from being developed! Tatu city project, 4 ways junction project and others are now in courts. Once elected I will lead to pass laws that will make every person who owns land to clearly understand that land was created by God to sustain life. The laws will ensure no project giving Kenyans jobs, food and shelter is ever halted or stopped because of land issue.

Q. You read stories in the Media and see the Permanent Secretary Dorothy Angote not being able to control the Ministry of Lands. How different will the executives who are guided by the laws you legislate and under the supervision of the senate be? 

A. Kenya adopted a culture of cowardice and corruption. However a time comes and change has to happen. Once the right legislative body is put to place, leaders of many government bodies will have the power to execute and put the corrupt to jails. I can assure you these stories will be in the past and corruption will take the next flight out Kenya and leave our people to work, enjoy their hard earned fruits and be proud once more to be Kenyans.  

Q. Does this mean the title, Senator Terry Kairu, is going to be associated with strict adherence to the constitution, killing corruption in Land ministry and other government sectors? 

A. As a Senator I will strictly adhere to the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya. Corruption makes me sick because it denies our citizens their God given right to live a happy life, feed their families daily and live in a clean environment. Corruption demoralizes a Society and makes people hopeless when those elected cannot be able to stop it. We need men and women with integrity, are hard working and are brave to take on corruption. As a Senator I would be committed to the welfare of the Kenyans and advancement of our nation and this starts with sealing all holes of corruption. We cannot continue to import food when we have so much idle land. Kenyans are very hard working and together we will make Kenya a great nation through the Economic Platform being advanced by the Kenyans abroad. We will strive to banish hunger in the free land we hold dear; from Coast to the farthest Frontiers there will be no want or fear anymore.  Tutajivunia kuwa Wakenya – We will be proud to be Kenyans.