Kenyans to lose in Ardhi House shutdown, says National Land Commission

National Land Commission Chairman Mohamed Swazuri (right) with Vice-Chairperson Abigael Mbagaya leave the Milimani Law Courts Thursday.  [Photo: Fidelis Kabunyi/Standard]

By Kurian Musa

Nairobi, Kenya: Kenyans are the losers in the 10-day closure of lands services, the National Land Commission (NLC) has said in an application filed at the High Court.

Kenyans will continue making losses due to stalled activities at Nairobi’s central registry, records registry and the banking hall, the lands agency argued.

“The ministry and the cabinet secretary have denied access members of the public wishing to transact business at the Lands offices,” reads NLC’s application before judge David Majanja.

Majanja certified the case as urgent and directed that the agency serves suit papers and appears before him today.

He did not, however, grant an order to allow unfettered access of the staff and officers of NLC as well as the public to Ardhi House until the final determination of the application. The suit further stated commission officers and their staff have for the last three days been denied access to the registries, housing files and correspondences.

Lodged petition

NLC Chairman Mohamed Swazuri led a team of commissioners from his office to lodge the petition.

The agency accused Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu (pictured) of deploying a contingent of heavily armed officers to man the main gate.

“Ardhi House is now working under instructions and continued intimidation from the ministry officials and the said heavily armed officers,” he said in a court document.

But Majanja, in a chamber summons, directed the same petition be served on all respondents – Ministry of Lands, Ngilu and the Attorney General, forthwith.

He will give further directions today at noon on whether to issue temporary conservatory orders suspending the public notices issued by Ngilu and published in national newspapers on May 2, pending hearing and determination of the application.

NLC seeks a declaration that the public notices issued by Ngilu are unconstitutional and therefore null and void. Ngilu is expected to make a response in court.