State agencies silent on Sh8bn property queries, says Muhammad Swazuri
National Land Commission chairman Mohammed Swazuri before a parliamentary committee investigating transactions involving the Sh8 billion land in Karen, Nairobi, on October 28, 2014. He said State agencies had not responded to his inquiries. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA
What you need to know:
- Only the Director of Physical Planning responded to the commission’s letter of October 23.
- MPs have asked Lands Secretary Charity Ngilu to appear before the committee next Tuesday to shed light on the matter.
Government agencies are yet to respond to National Land Commission’s request for information on the controversial 134-acre property in Karen, Nairobi.
The commission wrote to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Director of Surveys, the Registrar of Titles and the Records Office, which should have information on all land parcels, NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri told the National Assembly’s Committee on Land on Tuesday.
However, none had responded to the enquiry concerning the transactions on the prime property, which is under investigation in connection with alleged irregular deals.
Only the Director of Physical Planning responded to the commission’s letter of October 23, indicating that he had no information on the alleged allocation of the land estimated to be worth Sh8 billion.
Dr Swazuri, who was accompanied by members of the commission when he appeared before the committee, said records in their possession showed that the land belongs to Muchanga Investments Limited.
The company is involved in a court case relating to the ownership of the land.
APPLIED FOR SUBDIVISION
The commission boss took the committee members through the records in its custody. All information was obtained from Muchanga Investments.
After 1978 when the land was transferred to the firm, it applied for subdivision, which was approved, according to the commission.
A survey was then carried out and plans produced subsequently, but they were not registered in favour of anybody else, until last year when the plans were cancelled and the land amalgamated, reverting it to the original 134 acres.
The commission tabled maps and plans which were cancelled and approved by both the Ministry of Lands and the Land Commission.
The same plans, however, had resurfaced with new land reference (LR) numbers under a different surveyor.
“It appears some other people used the same subdivision, exactly acre by acre, plot by plot and used it as their own,” said Dr Swazuri.
The commission was not aware whether those people had transferred the property to anybody else, he added.
“These new LR numbers were generated using the same plans, with exactly the same beacon names with a different surveyor this time. I think that is fraudulent.”
He said when the land returned to the original 134 acres, any new sub-division should have required approval and confirmation from the Director of Physical Planning.
The MPs have asked Lands Secretary Charity Ngilu to appear before the committee next Tuesday to shed light on the matter.
