ILLEGAL ALLOCATION & GRABBING OF PUBLIC LAND IN THE COUNTRY

The revelations by the Public Investments Committee of Parliament that various parcels of land belonging to national museums and prehistoric sites have been allocated to individuals under the guise of private developers is shocking and immediate remedial measures must be taken by the government to revert these parcels of land to their initial public ownership status and individuals involved in these transactions called to account.
Particularly if an individual can have the courage to claim ownership of such historical sites like the Fort Jesus as well as own the entire Mama Ngina Drive on Mombasa Island, then this shows the extend of the rot we as a country have gone to bearing in mind that this isn’t a single individual action but is a process involving key government officers from the lands office to the end allottees where back door tittle deeds are issued with impunity and in total disregard to the rule of law.
Sadly, the grabbing menace seem to have even spread throughout the country with the same story being told in Eldoret and Kitale and it is time the relevant government institutions while rallying behind this week’s warning against the corrupt by His. Excellency the President Uhuru Kenyatta to immediately move into action and  deal decisively with those involved by arraigning them in a court of law to account for their deeds.
Any attempts to shelve the PIC report will be suicidal to the fight against corruption in this country and a huge set back to the President’s and Public’s gained momentum in the fight against graft that now threats the very fabric of our society where any available public space leads people into salivating on when will they become owners of such parcels of land in total disregard of a serious Presidential warning similar to the one given by the President this week and even previously.
Kenyans are asking very hard questions: who facilitated the transfer and eventual grabbing of the initial titles of these parcels of land? Who are the beneficiaries? These are crooks who should be brought to book! It is an absolute attack on The Kenyan people and their country.

Interestingly, it is not a common Kenyan, a poor worker who is involved in this clandestine allocation of our key historical sites and grabbers but senior individuals with influence both inside and outside government with appetite to grab and own everything without any human face to their actions.
As a country it is time Kenya now walked the talk and dealt firmly with the face of corruption and since records are available on who owns these grabbed parcels of land, Kenyans want to see people in court answering to these charges and this will guarantee members of the public of the government’s seriousness and commitment to the fight against corruption as directed by the President.
Equally, our patience as workers and Kenyans is running out and both the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, EACC and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP should live up to the oath of these offices and make public the report on Tassia II Infrastructure Development Project that was choreographed to siphon a whooping Kshs.5.053B from the National Social Security Fund, NSSF vide e mail approval and circulation. COTU-K blew the whistle and even volunteered every information with regard to the Project including personally being asked by the EACC to write several statements on the matter.
Kenyans are waiting for this report and even the squatters on the Tassia site are still waiting. Also, we want answers to the Hazina Tower expansion Project in town down that despite the NSSF Board objecting, the then Cabinet Secretary went on not only to approve but to sanction an increment to Kshs. 7.1B from the initial Kshs. 3.2B. On whose authority was these figures inflated to such huge disparities? Why hasn’t anyone been charged in court over such open corruption involving public funds?
If these institutions are serious in helping the President root out corruption in this country, this is where to begin by being true to self and not letting the public to keep guessing over matters that are within your powers to arrest and put to an end.

Francis Atwoli, EBS, MBS
SECRETARY GENERAL.