NLC told to repossess 624 plots grabbed in Mombasa

What you need to know:

  • NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri said the agency would ensure all land allocated without due process would be recovered even if the owners have title deeds.
  • Mombasa Primary School land, which was illegally acquired, subdivided and given to developers, is among the cases the commission is seeking to resolve, he said.
  • The commission said it is currently working on alternative means of settling the land disputes to expedite the process.

The National Land Commission has been told to repossess 624 parcels of public land grabbed by private developers in Mombasa County.

County lands executive Francis Thoya said most of the snatched plots are road reserves, parcels of land set aside for construction of government houses, schools and ocean shores, among others.

“We have evidence showing the ownership. We want the National Land Commission (NLC) to investigate and revoke the grants,” he said during the commencement of a three-day review of grants and disposition of public land at the Kenya School of Government yesterday.

NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri said the agency would ensure all land allocated without due process would be recovered even if the owners have title deeds.

“The hearings are meant to determine lands given without due process for repossession. More than 2,000 have been decided upon and verdicts given that they be returned to the government or the rightful owner,” Dr Swazuri said.

Mombasa Primary School land, which was illegally acquired, subdivided and given to developers, is among the cases the commission is seeking to resolve, he said.

Dr Swazuri revealed that grabbers usually collude with some rogue officers in the Ministry of Lands to get documents before claiming ownership.

“People who want to grab land do not do it in one day. They look for ownership documents first then go ahead to claim the land,” he said.

Mr Stephen Katana, one of the complainants who testified before the commission, said they were being mistreated by private investors who were claiming ownership of their piece of land at Thome in Mombasa.

The commission said it is currently working on alternative means of settling the land disputes to expedite the process.

“We are pursuing alternative solutions. The cases take long to resolve, yet we can settle most of these cases out of court,” Dr Swazuri said.

He went on: “I know there is some kind of frustration for those thinking we are moving slowly. It is not possible to listen and award the complainant immediately even when it is obvious that should be the case.”