§ 48. Sir A. Hurdasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what action he proposes to take following his recent talks with Kenya Government Ministers and representatives of the Kanu opposition to secure an agreement to honour titles to land held from the Crown by Europeans and Africans after Kenya obtains internal self-government and to facilitate in fair terms the transfer to Africans of land now farmed by Europeans who may wish to leave Kenya now or in the future.
§ 49. Mr. Thorpeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he now has for maintaining stability of land values in Kenya.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodAs I indicated in my statement of 20th December last, the continued protection of property rights will inevitably play an essential part in any future discussions on further constitutional advance in Kenya.
The land settlement schemes, which involve the purchase of land and which I hope can be accelerated, will help. But at the heart of the problem are anxieties about the security of title and conditions generally. If political leaders succeed in allaying these anxieties, farming and other economic activity vitally affecting everybody in Kenya will undoubtedly benefit from the resultant revival of confidence. I am, therefore, encouraged to 141W find that leaders of the Kenya Government and of the Opposition are conscious of this problem and have expressed their readiness to include it in the discussions now contemplated.