Africa-Press – Kenya. Senators have opened investigations into an alleged fraud that has reportedly cost taxpayers billions of shillings to acquire land for dam projects. It is alleged that officials of the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission are colluding with individual and land companies to acquire land in anticipation of government projects.
They then dispose of the land to the government at exorbitant prices, causing massive loss of money to the taxpayers. “The committee [on lands] should investigate and table the findings on the report on collusion and conspiracy among individuals, companies and officials of the Ministry of Land sand NLC,” Nyeri Senator Wahome Wamatinga.
He petitioned the Senate, through the Lands committee chaired by Nyandarua Senator John Methu, to enquire into the alleged fraud. “The committee should state the action to be taken against those involved, including measures to surcharge for the loss to the government,” the Nyeri Senator held.
Lands Minister CS Zacharia Njeru, PS Nixon Korir and NLC chairman Gershom Otachi are among those set to appear before the panel toexplain the alleged fraud.
In the probe, the Ministry of Lands and NLC will disclose all parcels of land that have been acquired for the purpose of dam construction projects since 2020.
The investigation will also reveal the amounts paid as compensation to the owners and the market value of those parcels. The probe comes in the wake of reports of controversial compensations for various projects by the NLC.
“The committee should state measures being taken to promote awareness to communities whose land has been marked for government projects to inconspicuous and unscrupulous land speculators,” Wamatinga said.
Minority whip Ledama Olekinasaid land acquisition and compensation by the government has been the biggest scandal. “All the scandals in this country relate to land that is acquired for government projects,” the Narok senator said.
Olekina said when the land was being acquired along Mlolongo for the expressway, and additionally and when the land was acquired to create the link road to Gachie, land owners hid documents and later went court for more money.
“You would find that many people who work in the Lands Department were complicit in this matter,” he said.
“It will be important for the Land committee to largely identify what parcels of land have already been earmarked to be used for government projects. When people know the Government is going to build a huge dam, they sell the land at exorbitant prices, which is costing Kenyan taxpayers a lot of money,” he said.
Baringo Senator William Cheptumo said lack of public participation in acquired land has triggered controversy surrounding land acquisition. “For people to surrender their pieces of land, they should be compensated. The process of compensation is an issue that I want this committee to look into,” Cheptumo said.
“The real value of the land should be given to the owners of the land. Sometimes, there is under valuing and other times over valuing of the land. A piece of land that was supposed to be Sh1 million per acre can be valued Sh3 million per acre,” he said.
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