Unscrupulous cartels colluded with registries to get titles for Lapsset land, study shows
LDGI chairman Ibrahim Mwathane (left) with Land PS Mariam el Maawy during the launch of the 'Large Scale Land Acquisition for Investments in Kenya' study at the Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi on October 12, 2016. The study revealed that cartels had colluded with land registration officials to get titles for land set for major projects like Lapsset in order to unscrupulously benefit from compensation at the expense of locals. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Lack of ownership documents among locals worsened the problem.
- This is because most land is not adjudicated and is managed under the Community Land Act.
- The LDGI study observed that poor land valuation saw many receive low payments while others got inflated payments.
- Men received higher payments than women for parcels of land of similar sizes and areas.
Multi-billion public projects, especially the Lamu-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transportation (Lapsset) Corridor, in Lamu and Isiolo counties saw unscrupulous individuals bribe land officials in return for land ownership documents, a study has shown.
The three-year study, titled 'Large Scale Land Acquisition for Investments in Kenya', by non-governmental organisation, Land Development and Governance Institute (LDGI), said that lack of ownership documents among locals worsened the problem since most land is not adjudicated and is managed under the Community Land Act.
The study observed that this elicited conflict among local land owners who were deprived of land to pave way for the Lapsset corridor.
Speaking Wednesday during the unveiling of the report at Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, LDGI chairman Ibrahim Mwathane said the government must eradicate cartels that have infested land registries in the country to enhance service delivery and speed up development.
“Land is a crucial component when it comes to doing business and it is upon the government to look at processes now in place as well as put in place tracking mechanisms that would help detect anomalies that promote graft.
LIFESTYLE AUDIT
Land Permanent Secretary Mariam el Maawy said a processes and lifestyle audit was currently underway within the Ministry of Land hierarchy with a view to streamlining operations as well as riding the department off errant workers.
She observed that digitisation and automation of systems at land registries currently underway in 13 registries would reduce human contact and visits to land registries.
The new system will also enable Land bosses to monitor service requests by members of the public and set out timelines for execution of various tasks where any delay will automatically be detected and punitive action taken promptly.
“You will only visit land registries for the physical documents but payments for rates, searches and other services will be made via a cashless system that will give you access to required details on any land parcel online or via a mobile phone-based premium text service,” she said.
POOR LAND VALUATION
The LDGI study observed that poor land valuation saw many receive low payments while others got inflated payments with men receiving higher payments than women for parcels of land of similar sizes and areas.
The report also called for the introduction of a compulsory resettlement plan for every evictee saying some men vanished after selling land, leaving their families in misery.
National Land Commission (NLC) Vice-Chairperson Abigail Mbagaya said irregularly acquired land ownership documents would be revoked and public officials found culpable punished.
She urged communities engaged in land conflicts to embrace alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for peaceful co-existence.
PS El Maawy said Kenya’s first ever national land valuation index is being formulated and will end the haphazard inflation of land prices.
