Ngilu closes Lands offices amid protest

A 10-day audit at Ardhi House that began Monday has opened a new front in the conflict between the Lands Ministry and the National Land Commission.

The ministry disrupted services Monday and closed Lands offices to the public as the audit began, amid protests from the commission claiming it was illegal.

The ministry and the commission share offices at Ardhi House, Nairobi.

As a result of the closure, those wishing to collect their title deeds or conduct land transactions have to wait for the audit to be completed.

Security has been intensified at the Lands offices, but the commission has raised the alarm that the audit may lead to disappearance of crucial documents.

The closure caused confusion as the NLC maintained it would continue to serve the public.

Police Monday blocked Kenyans from the building.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu said the officers were deployed to ensure no documents were lost.

She said the audit was aimed at restoring sanity at the ministry that been dominated corrupt employees.

One million title deeds would be disbursed to Kenyans at the end of the year, she added.

“It takes up to 100 days for one to get his documents,” she said. “We intend to reverse that and it will no longer be who has the money; it is about service delivery.”

However, the accused her of creating parallel functions between the commission and the ministry.

“We are perturbed with what is happening,” said the agency’s Vice-Chairperson Abigael Mukolwe.

“She is wasting time and resources for an exercise which is deemed illegal to us.”

Ms Ngilu accused the commissioners of corruption. “Ask them why they keep files in their own offices and not at a central place,” she said.

The commission said it has no interest on issuance of title deeds but is handles matters relating to leasing.

The commission, which accuses Mrs Ngilu of not knowing her job or differentiating title deeds and leases, has already moved to the Supreme Court for interpretation of their functions.

Efforts to resolve the conflict, including the President’s intervention, have failed as Mr Ngilu always reneges on their agreements, according to Ms Mukolwe.

She said the Lands Secretary was acting unconstitutionally. “The commission is independent it is unfortunate that members of the public are being barred by the several police here,” she said.

The commissioners claimed that sensitive documents were being handled without care and could disappear.

“If any document gets lost, we shall hold her (Mrs Ngilu) solely responsible for the same,” said the Vice-Chairperson.

Despite the stand-off, services at Lands offices in Meru, Nyeri and Kirinyaga were uninterrupted.

In Meru, payment for allotments, land adjudication and applications for valuation and processing were on-going.

And in Kirinyaga, scores of people were at Lands offices in Kerugoya Town from 8am.

Those interviewed said they were being served as usual. “Here we are not affected,” said one of them.

District Land Registrar Julius Muthee said he had not received any instructions to stop transactions.

In Nyeri, customers streamed in and out of the Lands office without hitches.

By Samwel Born Maina, Kennedy Kimanthi and James Ngunjiri