Lamu,KENYA: The National Lands Commission-NLC chair Muhammad Swazuri has categorically stated that the national government shall never issue title deeds to persons whose lands were acquired and compensated for at the Lamu Port-LAPSSET.
Swazuri said since those whose lands were acquired for the LAPSSET had already been compensated in millions for the said land,a title deed specifically drafted for the 70,000 acre piece of LAPSSET land had been procured and that the continued stay by some of those who have already been compensated is illegal.
Persons whose lands were acquired for the port and who have already been compensated want the NLC to issue them with title deeds for the lands.
The NLC however says the landowners are up to no good since the land no longer belongs to them and as such they no longer have the authority to demand for anything as far as the land is concerned.
Speaking in Lamu on Monday,Swazuri said ownership of the land located and Kililana and Mashunduani now fully belongs to the Lapsset.
In February 2015,the national government issued a total of Sh.1.3 Billion to the NLC as compensation monies for over 100 individuals whose lands had been acquired for the Lapsset.
The NLC boss stated that there was no law that allows for someone who has already been legally paid for a certain piece of land to be issued with a title deed for the same land later on since ownership is already transferred.
“People have already been paid for their lands which were acquired for the Lapsset but now apparently,they are now demanding that we issue them title deeds for the same lands.where has that ever happened?we can never ever make such a mistake.We have already drafted a single title deed for the lands which now belongs to the Lapsset,”said Swazuri.
He however pledged to ensure land owners whose lands border the Lapsset are issued with title deeds in order to protect from grabbers.
