HC Deb 12 March 1925 vol 181 cc1524-5
Sir ROBERT HAMILTON

(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that some 62,000 acres of land in Kenya are advertised for sale by auction by the Government on 23rd March; whether this sale has his approval; and whether, in view of the present acute shortage of labour for the development of existing properties, he will cable instructions to the Kenya Government that the sale be postponed

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)

The Secretary of State has only recently received a copy of the "Kenya Gazette" of 14th January, containing a notice of sale on 23rd March of leases of 43 lots in different parts of the Colony. The large lots are chiefly grazing areas, amounting to about half of the whole area. The rest chiefly in small lots, and my right hon. Friend is not prepared to interfere at this late stage with a sale already gazetted. He has under consideration the question of inviting the Acting Governor to postpone future sales unless for special reasons.