Catholic church brought down

National Lands Commission Chairman Muhammad Swazuri (left) and Uasin Gishu Lands Executive Robert Ngí’sirei demolish a section of the Catholic Church under construction in Kaptich, Eldoret on February 24, 2015. JARED NYATAYA |

By  DENNIS LUBANGA

What you need to know:

  • Commission Chairman Mohammad Swazuri and other commissioners and county government officials brought down the church on Tuesday.
    The church was built on a 45-acres claimed by the Diocese of Eldoret.
  • “The commission will immediately write an allotment letter, before undertaking a survey of the land. The County Government of Uasin Gishu will then be at liberty to go ahead and construct a school on the land,” said Dr Swazuri.
  • But Eldoret Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir denied that the church had grabbed the land. “We have been in possession of the land in question for over 10 years and the church has proper documents,” Bishop Korir told the Nation on phone.

A Catholic church was Tuesday demolished by the National Lands Commission.

The commission said the church at Kaptich was built on public land in Uasin Gishu County.

Commission Chairman Mohammad Swazuri and other commissioners and county government officials brought down the church on Tuesday.
The church was built on a 45-acres claimed by the Diocese of Eldoret.

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“This is public land reserved for public use. At no time was the land allocated to the Catholic Church,” said Dr Swazuri.

He was with Vice Chairman Abigale Mbagaya and Commissioners Samuel Tororei, Silas Kinoti, Rose Musyoka and Clement Lenashuru.
Uasin Gishu Lands and Housing Executive Robert Ng’isirei was also present during the exercise.

This was the third visit by the commission to the disputed land.

But Eldoret Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir denied that the church had grabbed the land. “We have been in possession of the land in question for over 10 years and the church has proper documents,” Bishop Korir told the Nation on phone.

The land registrar has written to the commission asking it to prepare ownership documents in favour of Trustees of Kiplombe Kaptich School.
The registrar also asked the county commissioner and the county government to stop the development by the church on the land.

ALLOTMENT LETTER

“The commission will immediately write an allotment letter, before undertaking a survey of the land. The County Government of Uasin Gishu will then be at liberty to go ahead and construct a school on the land,” said Dr Swazuri.

He accused the church of building on the plot without valid land documents. The church had built a nursery school and then brought it down following a fierce court battle with the land registrar.

“We have been in touch with the Catholic Church Diocese of Eldoret on different occasions with regard to the ownership of this land but it has gone ahead to violate calls to vacate the plot. This is why we have brought down the church structure,” he added.

At the same time, Dr Swazuri directed individuals and companies holding titles of public land in dispute not to develop the properties.
He said the affected land will be returned back to the government if the owners acquired it fraudulently.

Dr Swazuri said land belonging to  Eldoret State Lodge, Kipchoge stadium, Langas Health Centre and Langas Police Station will be repossessed by the commission.

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