State to repossess 12 parcels of land in Lamu County irregularly acquired

The government will repossess 12 parcels of land in Lamu County that were irregularly acquired following completion of an investigation into 22 titles for about 500,000 acres of public land.

The National Land Commission (NLC) recommended revocation of the 12 titles, but said another six should be issued afresh because they were processed irregularly.

NLC presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta its report on the review of grants and disposition of public land in Lamu at State House, Nairobi. The commission recommended further investigations into allocation of land in the area to one company.

The President was also briefed on the Saturday meeting between the commission and Lands ministry as directed by the Supreme Court.

An agreement on working relations between the commission and the ministry was signed before the President and his deputy William Ruto.

NLC will now access the lands registry and process the leases as per the law. The President said Kenyans want services not differences "between us."

"It is great we have a working agreement between the commission and the Ministry. That brings assurance and hope," President Kenyatta said, according to a statement posted on Twitter by State House.

On the controversial Lamu land, the report says officials at the Ministry of Lands were aware of the irregularities, but went ahead to endorse the allocations.

"Irregularities marred the processes, some omissions amounted to unlawfulness, but there were subsequent and at times desperate attempts to rectify them," the report reads in part, adding that most of the parcels had to be sanitised after their processes stayed incomplete for long.

"None of the titles for the subject ranches was found by NLC to be a fake or a forgery," it added.

Those whose titles are to be revoked include Brick Investments Ltd, Rusken International Ltd (Calyon), Lamu and Tana Sugar Company Ltd, Shanghai Investments Ltd, Fincorp Investments Ltd, Sheila Ranches Ltd, Khairallah Ranch, Savannah Fresh Fruits Ltd, Cyberdom Investments, Dynamic Trading Company, Kaab Investments Ltd and Lamu Investments Ltd.

obtained legally

The affected land will revert to Lamu County. Those recommended for regularisation include Witu Nyangoro Co-operative Society Ranch, Mokowe-Kibokoni Ranch, Baragoni Boni Community Ranch, Pandanguo Boni Community Ranch, Amu Ranch Co-operative Society Limited and Witu Livestock Co-operative Society Limited.

The commission recommended that the title for Maalim Ranching Company Limited be upheld because it was obtained legally.

It said that virtually every allocated parcel in Lamu has one or two other requirements missing, or inappropriately entered, such as the list of directors, duration of the lease, grant numbers and size of land.

Investigations show that 15 of the 22 ranches obtained their titles between 2010 and 2012.

They include Brick Investments Ltd, Shanghai Investments Limited, Fincorp Investment Limited, Kaab Investments Limited, Mokowe-Kibokoni Ranch, Dynamic Trading Company, Savannah Fresh Fruits Export, Cyberdorn Investments, Pandanguo Boni Community Ranch, Sheilla Ranch, Witu Nyangoro Ranch, Khairallah Ranch and Boni Community Ranch.

Khairallah Ranch has two letters of allotment, one issued in April 2012 for a lease of 45 years and the other granted in September 2012 for 99 years.

Six of the parcels, although registered in 2011 and 2012, were designated and allocated as ranches in the early 70s. They include Sheilla Ranch, Witu Nyangoro Ranch, Mokowe-Kibokoni Ranch, Baragoni Boni Community Ranch, Pandanguo Boni Community Ranch and Witu Livestock Co-operative Ranch Limited.

The report says locals made use of the ranches even though some are under-utilised.

"A few ranches were bought out from previous allottees, but both sets of allocations showed irregularities and at least two of the purchasers had charged their properties to banks," reads the report.

The report blames illiteracy, poverty, the Shifta menace and marginalisation for failure to complete the allocation of the ranches.