The Nairobi County through its Lands Chief Officer Stephen Mwangi had earlier given a different account why the people of Embakasi West Constituency have not been issued with title deeds even after paying Sh30,000 each/CFM NEWS
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 2 – The Nairobi County Government has been blamed for the delay in processing and issuance of title deeds to residents in Eastlands.
Musyoka Annan Law firm which was contracted to deal with the processing of the title deeds admitted before the National Assembly Lands Committee that the county has been holding important documents needed for the processing.
“There has been lack of cooperation between my office and those who occupied offices frequently in City Hall. With every regime change, things took a different turn to the extent madam chai, that as we sit here now, we have 174 documents lying in City Hall waiting for execution fully paid for but have not been returned to us,” said Annan.
The Nairobi County through its Lands Chief Officer Stephen Mwangi had earlier given a different account why the people of Embakasi West Constituency have not been issued with title deeds even after paying Sh30,000 each.
“Once the law firms have done leases for the plot owners, the leases are currently forwarded to the office of the Chief Officer Lands. I can confirm that we do not have any record between us and Musyoka Annan’s firm because I am dealing with the current lawyers from Mbugua and Atido Associates,” said Mwangi.
His response was not well received by committee members led by their chair MP Rachel Nyamai (Kitui South) who questioned Mwangi on why he did not follow up from where the last government left the issue of the title deeds.
“I thought as a public officer, it is upon you to find out how things are done in the office that you have been appointed to. You start from where your predecessors left at not giving excuses on why you cannot do something so we will not take that for an answer as to why people -and innocent people for that matter – are yet to be given their title deeds,” said Nyamai.
Other members were quick to support the chair accusing the county of having a hidden agenda concerning the matter.
“Why did you change lawyers not once not twice but more than three times, yet you were dealing with a person who has all documents and records? Musyoka Annan has kept records for over 20 years yet you cannot provide documents of people you have been dealing with in less than five years. What does that say about you people?” Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny wondered.
Nairobi County Representatives and Musyoka Annan law firm were answering a petition filed by Embakasi West MP George Theuri where the county is being accused of taking money from Embakasi residents since 1993 yet no title deed has been issued.
The county is further accused of changing lawyers every time the issue of title deeds is raised by those affected.
In May last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the Nairobi Eastlands Titling Programme where he issued 50,000 title deeds to Nairobi residents to unlock Sh20 billion in business and investment.
The president further said that 100,000 title deeds would be given to land owners by the county, without any charges an announcement that has so far not been honoured.
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