NLC begins probe on four firms named in Lamu land scandal

National Land Commission Chairman Mohammad Swazuri (left) with Kwale County Governor Salim Mvurya after holding consultations on September 15, 2014. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The National Land Commission (NLC) has began investigating four of the 22 companies named in the irregular allocation of land in Lamu County.

The agency's chairman, Mr Mohammad Swazuri, together with officials, toured four ranches in Witu Division on Thursday.

The ranches were Witu Nyongoro (DA) Company, Witu Conservative Self Help Group, Witu Livestock Cooperative Society and Witu Community Ranch.

Dr Swazuri said his team would be in Lamu for the whole week to visit all the 22 ranches said to have been irregularly allocated, in order to establish the facts and explain, where necessary, the reasons for revocation of ownership.

The commission will then give culpable owners a chance to defend and plead their cases before compiling a final report to be presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta next week.

CHECKLIST

“After establishing what is on the ground, we will compare with what we already have. We will have a checklist for each of the parcels. We’ll tell them where anomalies are if any and show them reasons for revocation or acceptance,” said Dr Swazuri.

Addressing the press at the Kenya Ports Authority offices in Lamu on Wednesday, Dr Swazuri said the investigations will be guided by all laws governing land ownership and acquisition.

The commission will also hold a public forum in Lamu Town to receive views from residents once it completes visits to land owned by the 22 companies.

Dr Swazuri said each of the owners will be summoned to Nairobi from September 23 to 26. The NLC will only listen to the true owners and not their representatives.

“After our investigations and compiling a report we will call the ranch owners to Nairobi with all the necessary paperwork. We will ask them to explain further to us before we submit our report to the President," he said.

"The commission will not deal with representatives. We will only listen to you if you come in person, since we are aware that some people have been bought over to make the work of the commission difficult. We are very alert and you won’t succeed,” added Dr Swazuri.

The commission will on Friday visit the Amu Ranch, Maalim Ranch, Brick Investments Limited and Boni Community Ranch.