Unknown thieves break into National Land Commission chairmans offices in Nairobi and steal crucial data. Police called to investigate Nlc By CYRUS OMBATI Unknown people broke into the office of the National Land Commission (NLC) chairman Muhamad Swazuri and carted away crucial documents. The thieves are said to have broke the private door to the offices on Friday night and stole the classified materials. But the commission chairman said he was yet to know the exact details of the burglary as he was away and out of the office. “I was also called by security officials who said the private door was open and there seemed to be disturbance in my office. That office has very crucial and classified documents and information that I suspect have been stolen,” said Swazuri. He added the door had never been opened since took over the office almost two years ago. “The door did not have a key because when I went in they said it would remain closed permanently. They must be serious thieves who knew what they were doing,” said Swazuri. He added the burglary could affect their operations but hoped they would get a back up on whatever was stolen. The chairman’s office is the one that is like the engine of most commissions as it stores most crucial information. It is not clear how the incident happened given Ardhi House, where they are located are heavily protected by armed police officers and the ministry security. Commission Chief Executive Tom Chavangi said he had visited the office and witnessed the break in but did not venture in to know more. “That is a crime scene for now and we have left it to police to come first and clear it. We cannot tell what was stolen from there,” he said. Kilimani OCPD Peter Katam said they would investigate the incident with an aim of getting those behind it and motive. The commission has been investigating among other issues the Lamu land grab, the Sh8 billion Karen land and several other land matters. The commission is also reviewing thousands of land grants that have so far expired. The Karen property is at the centre of a court tussle pitting businessman Horatius Da Gama Rose and former National Social Security Fund Managing Trustee Jos Konzolo, while a widow of former Nairobi Provincial Commissioner John Mburu has also resurfaced to claim ownership. Already, the ministry of lands and NLC have taken divergent positions about the prime property, with the commission saying documents made available to them indicate the land belongs to Gama Rose’s Muchanga Limited. NLC recommended the revocation of titles to 12 out of 22 parcels of land that were under investigation in Lamu County. The land, whose titles are under probe, were issued to individuals and companies and was for strategic reasons in preparations for the Lamu Port and South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project. It also happened when the commission had recommended for a re-survey and re-establishment of boundaries for Mombasa, Eldoret and Cherangany State Lodges land. The commission had said preliminary investigations have established that parts of State Houses and, or Lodges have been hived off and sold illegally to individual entities and companies. The commission has also been at loggerhead with lands minister Charity Ngilu over the management of land issues. The commission has lodged a case at the Supreme Court for an opinion on their mandates and those of the minister. Experts say the ongoing conflict between the ministry of Lands and the Commission is causing huge economic losses to the public. State House had three months ago said the power struggle between the commission and Ngilu had ended but officials there denied the same The main mandate of NLC include to manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments, recommend a national land policy to the national government and advise the national government on a comprehensive programme for the registration of title in land throughout Kenya. It also conducts research related to land and the use of natural resources, and make recommendations to appropriate authorities, initiate investigations, on its own initiative .or on a complaint, into present or historical land injustices, and recommend appropriate redress, assess tax on land and premiums on immovable property in any area designated by law and monitor and have oversight responsibilities over land use planning throughout the country.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 04:58:52 +0000