Defunct council assets within Kilifi to become county property

KILIFI COUNTY: The Transition Authority has identified properties that were once owned by the defunct councils and that are to be immediately transferred to the county government.

An inventory, seen by The Standard, shows the properties include hundreds of acres of developed and undeveloped land.

There are also buildings that belonged to the Malindi County Council, Malindi Municipal Council, Kilifi County Council, Kilifi Town Council and Mariakani Urban Council.

According to county Transition Authority Coordinator Mwatsuma Mwamuye, the county government could not immediately take over the assets and liabilities belonging to previous administrations.

"A comprehensive inventory had to first be undertaken and my office has been busy going to the ground to identify all assets and pave way for immediate repossessions," he said.

The coordinator said some of the assets have already been identified and have been listed in the inventory, adding that necessary procedures are being followed to officially transfer the properties.

LAND DISPUTES

Mr Mwamuye made the remarks at Pekele Hotel in Kilifi town Thursday when he addressed civil society groups operating at the county, coordinated by Muslim for Human Rights.

Mwamuye said information gathered concerning land found that some have ownership disputes with either squatters or private developers.

He also said title deeds have not been released by the Ministry of Lands for both parcels of land that have been surveyed and those that have not.

There has been an outcry over alleged massive grabbing of public utility plots in the county with the National Land Commission being called upon to investigate these cases and prosecute the culprits.

"As the civil society in Kilifi, we are very concerned over this land grabbing issue and we will not relent in our calls to have it addressed conclusively," said Kashero Chinyaka, an activist.

Earlier, Governor Amason Kingi had expressed his concern over this issue, singling out the grabbing of plots earmarked for construction of a modern market at Mariakani.

CORRUPT DEALS

"Most public utility plots in the county have been grabbed and officials in the former local authorities took part in aiding the grabbers," he said.

However, former County Council Chairman Anthony Kingi dismissed the claims and urged the governor to openly name the officials he claims were involved in the land grabbing.

"The governor cannot hide behind blanket accusations. He should come out clearly and reveal the names of former officials suspected to have engaged in corrupt dealings that led to the illegal sale of public utility land," he said.