The National Assembly’s Lands Committee had a heated session on Wednesday as Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome appeared to respond to a dispute over contested ownership of prime land involving former Provincial Commissioner Davis Chelugui.
Chelugui has laid claim to land parcels number 18485 and 233908, alleging that he acquired them in 1995 and only obtained a title deed in 2021.
He had previously told the committee that the land was allocated to him by the late President Daniel Arap Moi.
Wahome, however, dismissed the claim, insisting that records at the Lands Registry show the documents Chelugui is relying on are forgeries.
''If he claims to be the owner, then he has to bring records that are acceptable and verified. Unless he has approvals from the land registrar, the director of survey, and the director of physical planning, his ownership claim cannot stand,'' Wahome told the MPs.
The CS noted that while Chelugui’s account sounded convincing, it was inconsistent with official records. ''He has a good story, but we have the records. His documents are a forgery. We are here to facilitate the committee to get the actual truth of the matter,'' Wahome said.
Wahome further revealed that she had faced threats linked to the dispute but maintained she would stand by the truth as reflected in government records.
She confirmed that her ministry had already shared the official land documents with both the Lands Committee and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Chelugui, on his part, has accused the Ministry of Lands of denying him access to present his side of the story, forcing him to seek intervention from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
His frustrations prompted the National Assembly to summon CS Wahome and her Principal Secretary, Nixon Korir, to give a formal explanation on the matter.
Committee members are now expected to scrutinise both sets of records before deciding and or recommending actions on the contested land.
Meanwhile, Wahome maintained that the government will not watch over forgery of documents to claim ownership of government land.
