• NLC commissioner Hubbie Al-Haji said most of the time women are left out in compensation.
• Al-Haji also revealed that the commission is planning to recruit more technical staff.
Image: File.
The National Land Commission wants women to be involved in compensation matters when property is compulsorily acquired for public projects.
"We need a policy to include women in compensation because they are usually left out," NLC commissioner Hubbie Al-Haji said on Friday.
She said they want women included as beneficiaries since men are usually the ones who receive the money awarded.
Al-Haji spoke during a virtual session when the commission sensitised civil society, the media, community and faith-based organisations on the contents of the 2020-25 draft strategic plan. It was drafted after the 2013-18 strategic plan lapsed.
NLC acting CEO Kabale Tache, chairman Gershom Otachi and other commissioners took part in the virtual session.
Al-Haji also revealed that the commission is planning to recruit more technical staff. "We have more non-technical staff," she said.
NLC has 447 employees against an approved establishment of 1,021. The commission is therefore operating below 50 per cent of its staff establishment.
In its 2019-20 allocation, the gross estimate (recurrent and development expenditure) was Sh1.233 billion. This constitutes approximately 36 per cent of NLC's budgetary estimates.
The commission continues to receive inadequate budgetary allocations despite the critical role it plays in facilitating the national development agenda. Its average absorption rate has been maintained at 95 per cent over the last six years.
The commission has promised to scale up alternative dispute resolution systems to expedite determination of disagreements on land.
NLC vice-chairperson Getrude Nduku said there was a massive backlog of cases registered with the commission.
Nduku said land disputes have led to loss of lives, money and property.
She said the commission has resolved various matters through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which is cost-effective and quick.
Over the years, the commission has received 15,513 complaints out of which 5,773 have been investigated or reviewed and 4,088 determined and gazetted.
It prepared 1,624 extensions and renewals of leases, approved 3,290 subdivision or amalgamation schemes, 1,925 change or extension of user and 2,566 building plans.
"We processed over 60,000 requests and dispatched 3,020 transfers of public school land to relevant registries from an audit of over 10,000 public schools," the commissioners said.
On the allocation of public land, it has processed over 6,000 requests from counties for unalienated public land.
The commission says 693 historical land injustices claims were received, out of which 126 were admitted, investigated and determinations issued.
Under the 2020-25 strategic plan, the commission said it would adopt consultation, collaboration, and cooperation both internally and externally in its operations.