National Land Commission chairman Muhammad
Swazuri tenure comes to an end with controversies, incompetencies and corruption claims as well as several court hearings shrouding his six-year term.
Swazuri is set to exit the office alongside his
nine-member team on February 19 after their mandatory six-year term.
According to the law, the President is required to declare a vacancy in the office of the chairperson and members within 14 days of the offices falling vacant.
But what has Swazuri achieved
since his arrival at the Commission? Has he brought
the desired change or did he do a shoddy job?
Well, the commission has been rocked by controversy over corruption, especially concerning land compensation among other scandals.
On February 15, MPs
delivered a harsh verdict over the performance of the commission, accusing outgoing commissioners of having failed Kenyans during their term.
The National Assembly’s Lands Committee indicted the commissioners, whose tenure comes to an end next week, over their failure to address 388 complaints from the public on matters touching on historical land injustices.
Land has always been one of the most politically sensitive topics in Kenya and a complex one for that matter.
From ownership to administration and tenure, it remains a thorn in the flesh as Kenyans seek to address the problems associated with it.
But this is just a tip on the iceberg. Swazuri, a land economist, said he had always been driven by the fear and respect for God.
Will he manage to fight off these accusations and allegations when he quits office? Will he have the power that comes with the office?
Well, some people say that It would be a great honour if Swazuri actually fights these claims in court and wins before it is too late for him.
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When Swazuri took office in 2013, Kenyans hoped that the newly established commission would bring to an end the myriad of problems associated with land and at the same time protect public land.
In the TJRC report, NLC was identified in the implementation matrix as a focal player in furthering investigations of alleged illegal or irregular acquisition of land.
But five years later, the Commission appears stuck where it began as problems persist. And now, Swazuri is in trouble over some of actions or inaction while in office.
On March 29, 2018, Swazuri was sent away from a
parliamentary committee hearing
after being termed a hostile witness.
A petitioner claimed that Swazuri received Sh1.2 million to process compensation for standard gauge railway land.
In June 2018, investigations zeroed in on Swazuri over the controversial payment of Sh1.5 billion compensation for the controversial Ruaraka land.
The National Assembly committee on land recommended that Swazuri be investigated and possibly prosecuted even as the EACC confirmed it has separately recommended the prosecution of 25 officials over the saga after concluding its investigations.
In August 2018,
Swazuri came out to tell of his 50-hour ordeal following his arrest over
.
Swazuri was arrested in connections with questions regarding the over alleged purchase of land for the first phase of the standard gauge railway.
The arrest was executed by the EACC following orders from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
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During the same year,
seven NLC commissioners testified against Swazuri.
Swazuri and Kenya Railways Corporation MD Atanas Maina were charged alongside 10 public officers from the Lands ministry and the Kenya Railways Cooperation.
It is alleged they conspired to commit crimes, which led to the loss of Sh222,375,000 public funds in payments for three KRC parcels.
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But amidst all these court cases and hearings in parliament, Swazuri has maintained that he will leave his office 'clean and strong'.
Last week, Swazuri said he will exit the commission with a 'clean and strong legacy'.
Swazuri said he has no regrets over his work at the NLC.
“Even if people say what they want, I am proud to have been the first chairman of the NLC and I have done my best with my commission on land matters in this country. Even if there are those who don’t want to hear that, it will always remain a fact," Swazuri said.
Swazuri holds a Master of Arts in Housing Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Land Economics all from the University of Nairobi.
When he was appointed the first chairman of the NLC, many believed that a man with wide knowledge on land matters, Swazuri would slay the dragon that is land grabbing in Kenya and stop dubious compensations.