- Valuation and compensation mandate taken to Lands ministry.
- President said corruption is rampant in the commission.
Image: WILLIAM RUTO/TWITTER
President William Ruto has removed evaluation and compensation functions from the National Land Commission as he steps up his anti-graft war.
The President on Sunday bashed the commission for colluding with cartels to exaggerate value of land, defrauding government which is forced to compensate higher than the actual value of land.
In a new directive to curb the alleged unholy collusion, the Head of State declared the valuation and compensation functions will no longer be done by NLC but through Lands ministry.
The move is a deliberate effort by the President to check corruption in the land sector even as he reiterates his administration will not condone corrupt practices going forward.
“In my government, I have directed that there will be no any form of corruption,” he stated.
“I want NLC to listen to me carefully, because that is where corruption is rampant. Someone gives a bribe and a land that is worth Sh100,000 is valued at Sh1 million and if you do not pay your land is undervalued.”
Ruto said the commission has been attaching different prices of land in an area depending on how much one can lobby. That, he said, must stop.
“Lands commission has become a market, if you have money you can bribe your way. A piece of land that goes for Sh1 million ends after a valuation being Sh100,000. It is not going to be business as usual,” Ruto said.
He added: "That nonsense must stop. Kenyans are asking why is it that six years ago you were paying Sh5, six years later you are paying Sh2...it is because we have a problem."
The Head of State said that it is time the commission is detached from both valuation and compensation to disrupt the cartel that has been operating in the land sector.
“It is not possible for NLC to decide where compensation is going to happen and how much is going to be compensated,” he said.
“We must separate powers for purposes of accountability. NLC will work on their mandate and the Ministry of Lands will handle the valuation."
NLC has been conducting both land evaluation and compensation by various acquiring government entities.
The entities identify land, inform the commission which then carries out the evaluation and then deposit the amount in the NLC’s account for compensation.
The President spoke at Isiolo Boys School grounds during an inter-religious thanksgiving service organised by Christians and Muslims.
The prayer service was attended by his deputy Rigathi Gachagua, Defence Cabinet Secretary Adan Duale, area Governor Abdi Guyo, his Marasabit counterpart Mohamud Mohamed, MPs Rasso Dido (Saku), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu) and area Senator Fatuma Dulo amongst others.
The President’s stern directive comes days after he cracked the whip at Kemsa and Kebs, sacking various officials over corruption allegations.
The President last week sent shockwaves through the public service with the sacking of Public Health Standards PS Josephine Mburu over a botched Sh3.7 billion mosquito nets tender.
Ruto also sent packing the Kemsa board of directors and suspended Kemsa CEO Terry Ramadhani and eight top officers from both the Ministry of Health and Kemsa.
Again on Wednesday, the President ordered the suspension of 27 officers, including Kebs managing director Bernard Njiraini.
The Wednesday purge was a response to the alleged irregular release of contaminated sugar into the market.
The list had a mix of officers from the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Agricultural Food Authority, KRA, the police among other multi-agency security teams