SWAZURI GIVES GRABBERS 90 DAYS TO SURRENDER PUBLIC LAND

National Lands Commission Chairman Muhammad Swazuri (centre) displays a surrendered title deed at Koige Secondary School in Nakuru County on February 16, 2018. He urged those who have grabbed public land to surrender it. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By JOHN NJOROGE

The National Land Commission (NLC) has given a 90-day ultimatum for people to surrender grabbed public land.

Chairman Dr Muhammad Swazuri on Friday said no further notice would be issued and the government would repossess the grabbed land.

TITLE DEED

He spoke at Mau Summit in Molo, Nakuru County, after receiving a title deed of land that was surrendered by a private developer who had hived off two acres of land belonging to Koige Secondary School -- a public school.

The man surrendered the fake title deed and urged other people holding onto government land to surrender it.

The man said he acquired the title deed nine years ago.

The NLC has promised to give amnesty to those who surrender title deeds of public land.

SCHOOL

The school was allocated 20 acres of land by the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC) but 2.5 acres were hived off.

The school was compensated for the two acres.

Dr Swazuri said the school would be among those issued with a title deed.

Parents of the school recently protested over the grabbed land, halting business and activities along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway.

The NLC intervened.

Dr Swazuri said the commission was in the final stage of processing title deeds for all government schools. This would protect the land from grabbers, he added.

CARTELS

The NLC boss said that parcels belonging to the National Youth Service, Prisons department, Kenya Ports Authority and Kenya Maritime Authority that had been grabbed in various parts of the country must be returned.

Dr Swazuri further put on notice cartels who collude to grab public land, saying that the commission would ensure they were apprehended and charged in court.

He said some powerful politicians were behind land grabbing cartels, which made it difficult to repossess grabbed land.

CREDIT: NMG