KWALE, March 9, 2023,
Department of Lands and Physical Planning offices across the country will from now onwards be treated as critical infrastructure that should be given enhanced security.
Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning Generali Nixon Korir today said that he has written to his Internal Security counterpart Raymond Omollo to create arrangements to enhance the security of all lands registries.
“I have written to my Internal Security counterpart to treat land registries as critical infrastructure,” said the PS.
He instructed Department of Lands and Physical Planning County Coordinators to urgently liaise with the County Commissioners to arrange for enhanced security of lands registries.
The PS spoke after he toured the Kwale lands registry and had a meeting with the staff of the department.
At the Kwale Lands Registry, the PS found land documents stacked and squeezed on top of each other up to the roof.
He said it is crucial for all Ministry of Lands offices to be housed in spacious and secure premises, especially after the incident in which the lands registry in Nyando was razed to the ground.
“I have seen the condition of your offices and you do not have to explain it to me. It is not your fault but it is the fault of previous governments,” said the PS.
He said the Government will soon come up with a model office that will be replicated in many counties.
The PS also held a meeting with the Kwale Deputy Governor Josphat Chirema Kombo where he said that the National Government will work closely with the county administration in resolving land issues.
The Deputy Governor and the County CEC for Lands Saumu Mahaja requested the PS to help the county in clearing hurdles in acquiring titles for some particular pieces of land that are required for public projects.
PS Korir said he was ready to support the County administration and took immediate action on resolving issues related to a piece of public land which the county wants to donate to KEMRI to set up a research center.
He also said that Kwale county officials will be given training in digitization of land documents in readiness for the process to digitize title deeds and other land documents.
The deputy governor said the county had offered the previous building that was used by the County Assembly to be used by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning until the Government builds new premises.
The PS’s meeting in Kwale comes a day after he held a meeting with Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir where they agreed to create a partnership in digitizing land documents for Mombasa County.
He was accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry during his tour of Kwale and Mombasa.