Machakos County Commissioner Josephine Ouko has said she will help residents solve land problems in the county.
Ouko said she had offered herself 100 per cent to serve the public accordingly and within the law.
The administrator said she had been deployed to Machakos County to help sort out a myriad of challenges faced by the residents including land ownership woes, drugs and substance abuse and insecurity among the populace.
She warned the residents against attempting to corrupt her and instead said she should be allowed to do her work according to the law.
"Nia niko nayo, uwezo tukishirikiana nanyi tutakua nayo. Msinicorrupt tafadhali (I have the will, we shall have the ability if we cooperate. Don’t corrupt me please), just let me work the way I know in line with the law so that we be able to serve you," Ouko said.
Ouko spoke on Thursday during the 60th Madaraka Day celebrations at Kaitheka Kai Secondary School in Mua Ward, Machakos County.
It was her first public event since she was posted to the county,
The function was attended by various leaders including the county’s security and intelligence committee, Machakos Town MP Caleb Mule, area senator Agnes Kavindu and Mua MCA Francis Ngunga.
The commissioner said there were lots of uncollected title deeds at Machakos Lands office.
"Anyone who asks you for bribe at Lands office, come and tell me. We don’t want corruption in this government,” Ouko said.
"Nimekuja hapa kuwafanyia kazi, mimi ni mtu ninafanya kazi (I have come here to work for you, I'm a workaholics). We want to transform Machakos County together with your elected leaders. As government officials, we will work with you,” she said.
Ouko said her administration will work with elected leaders in the county since they were the people’s representatives.
"Time for politics is over, leave politics for now so that we engage in things that can help us,” Ouko said.
Mule, Kavinda and Ngunga urged the administrator to help sort out land ownership problems that was being experienced in several parts of the county.
He said it was sad that his constituents were yet to be issued with land title deeds sixty years after Kenya got her independence.
"Madaraka Day is the day we got self-governance as a country. It’s unfortunate that since 1963 to date, people from Kaitheka Kai and Katelembo haven’t acquired title deeds as ownership documents to their land,” Mule said.
"I’m pleading with you to help us get title deeds for my constituents,” Mule told the county commissioner.
"If it’s title deeds, it’s now. I will petition Parliament to issue residents of Kaitheka Kai and Katelembo title deeds if it doesn’t happen now,” he added.
Ngunga said civil servants should get out of offices and get to the people in villages and provide solutions to their problems.
"As elected leaders, we have been given lots of challenges by our electorate; water, drugs and substance abuse, illicit liquor, insecurity and land ownership woes, while we have civil servants who should be addressing the challenges, let’s get out of offices and work,” Ngunga said.
Ouko said she will help the residents get title deeds to their parcels.
"We want everyone to have his/her title deed, I know the importance of title deed,” Ouko said.
She said her first duty was to issue rightful land owners their title deeds and ensure living standards improve in the county.
"I will walk with the local leaders to solve land problem. Don’t rush to courts. We will tell courts that all land cases in Nairobi to be returned to Machakos because we want truth and justice to all,” Ouko said.
She warned civil servants against corrupt practices. She told chiefs, assistant county commissioners and deputy county commissioners to step up the war on illicit liquor, drugs and substance abuse and crime.
Ouko urged members of the public to voluntarily give information to relevant security agencies in the county.
"We are ready to work. Please give us information since you are the ones who live with these criminals, they are your neighbors," she said.
