The Ruiru MP, Simon King’ara has called on the government to issue title deeds to all public institutions across the country to keep grabbers at bay.
Speaking in Ruiru on Monday the MP said that he has already drafted a bill he will soon table in parliament.
This Bill, the MP said set to protect public land from land grabbers who are on the verge of acquiring every available public utility land.
King’ara pointed out that lack of the vital document has exposed public institutions to greedy individuals out to enrich themselves with government land.
He said that while over 70 percent of public institutions across the country including the old ones are at risk of encroachment and being grabbed, over 15 percent of those institutions have filed land grabbing cases.
“We want the government to issue title deeds to all gazetted public utilities with immediate effect because it’s in untitled areas that land cartels have perfected their theft.” he said.
He was speaking to his constituents when releasing bursary cheques worth over 26 million shillings to 6,700 needy students,
King’ara revealed that donors were unwilling to support institutions without the valid document making it hard for them to operate effectively.
“There are many well-wishers in Ruiru and other parts of the country but they are only willing to aid institutions with title deeds,” lamented the legislator.
Kingara appealed to lands office in Thika to help in fast-tracking the issuance of the crucial document, adding that the document will guard public property.
“I have been fighting to have a lands office in Ruiru to help us fasten the issuance of title deeds and I am happy to announce that the process is on-going and we believe that the facility will be put up by June this year,” he said.
The legislator who is also a member of the Parliamentary Lands Committee said that the government will forcefully evict land grabbers from public utility land, urging those who have illegally acquired government land to swiftly hand over the public land before the government forcefully reclaims.
He said that most public utility land meant for constructing schools in Ruiru was issued to private developers consequently Ruiru has a shortage of public schools and finding parcels to put up public schools is very difficult and it’s for that reason those who have grabbed government land should be compelled to surrender.
By Lucy Wangai