Former senior government officials have been accused of illegally acquiring land at the controversial Kilifi Jimba and Chembe Kibabamuche settlement schemes in Kilifi.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya took the National Land Commission to task to unmask the culprits.
Since Monday, the NLC has been holding
public
hearings to establish the owners of the land so as to lift an embargo placed by the state 31 years ago.
At one time, Baya engaged NLC commissioners and acting chairperson Abigael Mbagaya in a war of words. He demanded the prosecution of all the former officers mentioned for abusing their office.
He claimed they acquired massive wealth from the illegally acquired land. Baya told the commission to investigate the matter and recommend prosecution.
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The MP also told the commission to
revoke all land titles
bearing the names of land adjudication officers and surveyors who fraudulently obtained land allocated to locals.
He also accused tycoons of getting land after the embargo was placed.
Some parcels have more than four title deeds, he said.
During the sitting, it emerged that government officials allocated themselves multiple parcels of prime land yet many locals live as squatters.
A son of a former government officer
found himself in trouble after the commission was told how his father obtained land illegally.
He told the commission that his father bought the land, but could not prove
his claims with documents.
“My father is old, he is over 80 years and is bedridden, that is why he sent me to represent him. What I know is, he acquired the land legally,’’ he said.
Mbagaya said they would investigate all the cases raised by the MP. The commission is expected to wind up the
sittings
on Friday.
A similar exercise was done at Chembe Kibabamuche, but squatters are not happy with the outcome.