Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Lands team to visit disputed city plot sold by Moi


The National Land Commission is on Friday set to visit a piece of land contested by the United States International University-Africa and private developer George Kiongera.

The commission’s chairman, Dr Muhammad Swazuri, said they had received documents from the university and the Lands Cabinet Secretary but were yet to get records from retired President Daniel arap Moi, who sold the prime land at Sh500 million.

“We officially wrote to them yesterday and asked them to bring their documents to us by Monday or Tuesday next week. After that we will make follow-ups,” Dr Swazuri said in an interview in Nyeri on Thursday.

RESOLVE DISPUTE

The commission’s chief executive officer, Mr Chavangi Aziz Tom, wrote to Usiu-A vice-chancellor Paul Zeleza offering to help resolve the dispute.

“To this end, you are requested to present your ownership documents to the secretary/CEO of the commission within the next seven days as the commission looks into the matter,” says the letter dated July 13.

The CEO added that the commission has the mandate to handle the dispute.

Dr Swazuri said the visit will enable his team to ascertain the correct information about the land since it does not rely only on what it gets from the involved parties.

He said the commission needs to know the exact acreage and the boundaries of the disputed property, hence the need to visit the land.

Prof Swazuri said they are going to look at the process through which the land was transferred to the individuals cited.

“From the preliminary analysis, I think the best thing to do is to call for a public review.”

STOP ORDER

Dr Swazuri said once his team visits the land in the afternoon (Friday) , it will issue a stop order on any development taking place on the property.

“The status quo shall be maintained until we resolve the matter,” he said.

The NLC chairman said a solution to the dispute will depend on how fast the parties give the commission their documentation.

He said after that, the commissioner will use records such as surveys and registration details to get to the bottom of the matter.

“There is no way both of them have titles to the same land. One of them is not genuine. One of them obtained the number fraudulently,” he added.

Dr Swazuri promised swift action once the commission gets hold of all the documents from both parties.

He, however, said the involvement of Mr Moi is still an allegation, adding that they will prove this through the documents they will receive.

“I am sure they used company names. It is until we get clarification from the Registrar of Companies that we will know the truth of the matter,” he said.

Mr Moi is said to have first transferred the property in Muthaiga North Estate to DPS International Limited on November, 10, 1988 while he was still president.