Some of 13,000 lost land files found
Lands permanent Secretary Dorothy Angote looks at some of the tattered title deeds earlier reported missing but later recovered. This was after members of the Law Society of Kenya led by their chairman Okong’o O’Mogeni (second left) visited Ardhi House to make an audit of the ministry on Thursday. Photo/HEZRON NJOROGE
What you need to know:
- PS assures that registry is now better organised to serve clients
The mystery surrounding missing files at the ministry of Lands offices has partially been resolved.
On Thursday, top officials revealed that some 13,000 files, including title deeds that had been declared missing, were recovered stashed in various parts of the registry, including under cabinets.
Others were carelessly placed in boxes that were then dumped in very lonely and dingy corners.
The registry was at the time poorly organised and congested with files strewn everywhere. This perhaps explains why many could not trace their files at the Lands office.
Many were told to give bribes for the files to be traced by ‘wheeler-dealers’ who ruled the corridors of the ministry.
On Thursday, Lands permanent secretary Dorothy Angote said that at one time, missing files were used as avenues of corruption.
But she was quick to point out that this was now a thing of the past. With the ministry in the process of computerising its operations, including the registry, the PS said, it will now be easier for Kenyans to have access to their files.
She spoke moments after taking members of the Law Society of Kenya Conveyancing and Property law committee on a tour of the ministry’s registry. The LSK officials were led by chairman Okong’o O’Mogeni.
The ministry recently announced that Phase One of the National Land Management System, a Sh3.8 billion plan, was on track.
This is a nationwide computerised system that will see all land records digitised and transactions conducted through ICT including mobile phones and the Internet.
The initiative is supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), and will be undertaken in six phases in three years.
It includes the expansion of a Sh44 million ultra-modern banking hall at Ardhi House.
Phase one involves collection of land records dating back 100 years and categorising them.
The second phase involves the development of an integrated lands records data base, while the third phase will focus on system development and hardware acquisition.
Mrs Angote said the Sh2.3 billion given to the ministry by Treasury was not enough.
The ministry had asked for Sh12 billion.
