President William Ruto on Sunday, May 21, issued a new directive, slashing the powers of the National Land Commission (NLC) with immediate effect.
The President who was speaking at Isiolo during a thanksgiving service, noted that there was a massive corruption within NLC and mostly it stemmed during the compensation process.
"In my government, I have directed that there will be no any form of corruption.
"And that is why I have instructed that NLC will no longer be involved in evaluation on matters concerning land compensation," the President announced.
Ruto directed that it is only the Ministry of Lands that will have the power to carry out land evaluation for fair compensation.
"I want NLC to listen to me carefully, because that is where corruption is rampant. Someone gives a bribe and a land that is worth Ksh100,000 is valued at Ksh1 million and if you do not pay your land is undervalued.
"That must stop immediately," Ruto read the riot act to NLC," he noted.
Ruto further revealed that NLC was not honest in how it settled on its figures when working on compensation schemes.
"If six years ago you valued a land at Ksh5, how then can that now reduce to Ksh2" the President wondered.
Ruto remarked that his administration was keen on making sure that the law applied equally to every Kenyan.
"Going forward, it is not possible for NLC to decide where the compensation is going to happen, who is going to be compensated and then they also decide how much it is going to be paid.
"We must separate powers for purposes of accountability. NLC will work on their mandate and the Ministry of Lands will handle the valuation," Ruto stated while slashing NLC powers.
The NLC is mandated by the Kenyan Constitution Article 67 (2) to manage public land on behalf of the national and county governments as well as recommend a National Land Policy to the national government.
The Commission is headed by Chairperson Gershom Otachi and Kabale Tache who is the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
