National Land Commission to reclaim grabbed land around Lake Naivasha

By Antony Gitonga

NAIVASHA, KENYA: The National Land Commission will reclaim grabbed riparian land around Lake Naivasha, including hundreds of acres under flower farming.

The commission chairman Mohammed Swazuri directed the Naivasha land registrar to submit to his office all access corridors that have been blocked by investors around the lake in two days.

The chairman announced that they would be reposing all grabbed utility land in Naivasha and would not be cowed by anyone irrespective of their position.

Swazuri said that the commission first target was Mombasa then Naivasha before they move to other parts of the country.

He expressed concern that flower farmers and hoteliers had grabbed riparian land and blocked access roads to the lake, a move he termed as illegal.

“We demolished a Sh300 million hotel in Mombasa as it was constructed in public land and were in the process of repossessing City Park in Nairobi and other assets across the country,” he said.

“The commission has five years to repossess grabbed land which includes Naivasha stadium and we shall make sure this reverts to the public as per the constitution,” he added.

Swazuri hit out at foreigners who owned land in the country but were opposed to the ongoing forensic exercise which is meant to verify genuine land documents.

“Some investors are opposed to this while others have allotment letters for settlement schemes which is illegal and the forensic exercise will go on,” he said.

The chairman was speaking at a Naivasha hotel when he met area residents.

Naivasha MP John Kihagi who had organized the forum challenged the commission to move fast and reopen all corridors leading to Lake Naivasha and address the issue of squatters.

 “Many people in Naivasha do not have title deeds but have allotment letters while some traders have grabbed utility land like the stadium and we want this repossessed,” he said.