Coast group urges Uhuru to sack Ngilu

Religious leaders from the Coast region want Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu sacked for what they say is over-stepping her mandate and failing to recognize the National Land Commission.

The leaders, drawn from the Kenya National Inter-Religious Network, International Fellowship for Christ, Coast Inter Faith Leaders Forum and the Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council, have called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to fire Ms Ngilu from the docket.

In a press briefing at Panaroma Hotel, Kemnac Chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao accused Ngilu of incompetence, citing her age and academic qualifications.

Sheikh Ngao said the ministry was too broad for a person like her to run. He said the wrangles between the NLC and the Ministry demonstrated her failures.

“Ngilu has failed to run the affairs of this docket. She has failed to recognize the NLC, which is an independent government commission established under the Constitution of Kenya to manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments,” Sheikh Ngao said, adding that it should not be Ms Ngilu's role to sign and issue title deeds.

DERAILED REFORMS

The leaders said Ms Ngilu has derailed land reforms in the country by sacking and replacing land surveyors in various counties.

“We have over 40 million Kenyans, will we wait for her to sign all land title in the country? We need the President and his Deputy William Ruto to replace Mrs Ngilu with another person who will cooperate with the NLC to ensure that the citizens can realize the dream of land reforms,” he said.

Sheikh Ngao said if the President keeps Ms Ngilu in the Lands docket, it would cost the Jubilee government come 2017.

He gave the President a 30-day ultimatum to sack the Cabinet Secretary and replace her with a more vibrant person knowledgeable enough to change the country and solve the endless land woes.

INTENTIONS QUESTIONED

“We want a reshuffle, we need somebody who can reform and correct historical injustices on land.

Ngilu is not ready to help Kenyans realize the land reforms they have longed for.

We have witnessed the mess she has brought in the Health and Water Ministries, which were under her watch,” He said.

The clerics questioned Ms Ngilu's intentions and interests in issuing title deeds and asked her to also concentrate more on housing and urban development instead.

They said there was a scheme by the Ministry of Lands and the Treasury to get NLC Chairman Mohamed Swazuri from the commission.

He added that the CS, through the acting director of surveys, Cesare Mbaria, ordered all land surveyors not to give survey plans to the commission.

Early this month, Lands Principal Secretary Mariamu El Maawy termed the raging dispute between Lands Cabinet Secretary and the NLC chairman as transitional.

Ms Maawy said the differences, which have been blamed for slowing down reforms in the land sector, would be sorted out once new laws are put in place.

She, however, acknowledged the existence of cartels in the ministry who, she said, were frustrating efforts to clean up the land register.