CS Kaimenyi defends ministry’s record at summit but fails to name “private investors” behind land grabbing

Lands Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi on Monday outlined the successes of the ministry under the Jubilee Government but failed to name key persons behind numerous land scandals in the country during the State House Land Summit.
Topping the list of achievements that has transformed the management of land in Kenya, Kaimenyi pinpointed the Jubilee flagship project of issuing 3 million title deeds.
Kaimenyi said the ministry had boosted the registration and issuance of title deeds from a total of 5.6 million since independence from 1963 to June 2013 by adding a further 2.4 million in 2013/2014 to the first quarter of 2016/2017 (800,000 per year).
 
The ministry in collaboration with National Land Commission has also launched the National Land Information Management System (NLIMS), said the CS.
The NLIMS will be the custodian of digitized data on land in the country to enhance efficiency in serving the public.
In fast tracking the issuance of titles, the CS said the Government has temporarily waived land adjudication and survey fees, registration charges totalling Sh5.85 billion for 3 million title deeds, fees for processing title deeds.
He said the Jubilee Government was on course to surpass the target of issuing 3 million title deeds. Prof Kaimenyi said the accelerated registration will improve livelihoods of Kenyans.
However, the Summit developed into an anti-climax when Kaimenyi did not name any land grabbers which Kenyans popularly know as “private investors”.
 
Kaimenyi was questioned about who the biggest owner of land in the country, or the grabbed public land, especially by politicians or those close to them but failed to give names.
The Langata Road Primary School land grab saga of last year was an obvious topic of discussion that arose.
National Lands Commission Chairman Muhammad Swazuri argued the issue of the school “is way behind us”, saying the title had been given back to the school.
Dr Swazuri argued.
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero dismissed the claim, saying “on my records at City Hall, there has been no change.”