By MUTEGI NJAU

The Public Accounts Committee has ordered the Commissioner of Lands, Mr Wilson Gachanja, to desist from alienating public land and allocating it to private developers without undertaking the necessary evaluation of the needs of the allottees.

In its latest report tabled in Parliament this week, the PAC under the chairmanship of Mr Henry Obwocha, the MP for West Mugirango, said it was "deeply appalled" by the manner in which 1,278 hectares of land belonging to Kabete Veterinary Farm was allocated.

The committee said the Kabete Veterinary Farm would "definitely need the land for future use".

"The committee was gravely concerned that due to the alienation of the land belonging to the Kabete Veterinary Farm, the farm is no longer able to maintain the original herd of 350 cows for research purposes, a situation which is likely to adversely affect the work of the laboratories and the livestock industry in the country," the report said.

The committee therefore recommended that land from the Kabete Farm allocated to public institutions and churches should be retained by the allottees but the allocation of Hayfield (LR 22375) forest land, the land adjacent to the Kenya Institute of Administration, be revoked while the land next to the Kabete Approved School be advertised for allocation following laid-down procedures.

The PAC expressed concern that public land at Skiteti/2 (6,319 acres); Emarti Holding Ground, (3,010 acres); Muhoroni Holding Ground, (150 acres); Thesalia Holding Ground, (392 acres); Ol Pejeta Outspan, (72 hectares); Elmentaita Outspan, (50 acres) and 898 acres in Machakos were allocated without following the laid down procedures.

The committee therefore recommended that the allocation of Muhoroni Holding Ground be revoked forthwith because the allottees were not genuine squatters.

It also recommended that allocation at Thesalia be revoked and the original squatters be allocated the land while Mr Taylor Tomilson, who was allocated the 72 hectares at Ol Pejeta, should pay the market value for it.

The two allottees for the Elmentaita Outspan should pay the market value for the land, failure to which the land should be re-possessed and allocated to genuine landless Kenyans, the report said.

The PAC further recommended that the disposal and allocation of government plots and houses should be done "strictly in accordance with the law".

"In future all allottees of government houses should pay the full market value of the properties at the time of allocation," the committee said.

It recommended that all allocation of plots and houses made outside the law should be repossessed.

The government should urgently amend the Government Lands Act in order abolish direct grant allocations, the committee recommended.

The committee also noted with concern that during the year under review, the Government had allocated 16 plots and houses to private individuals and firms disregarding the PAC recommendations of the previous year.

Private developers who had encroached on 338 acres of government land set aside for the expansion of the Moi International Sports Complex at Kasarani should be evicted and the illegal structures they have built there should be demolished.

The PAC recommended that the entire land should be fenced without delay.

"The committee, while noting that the Accounting Officer had since obtained the title deed for the entire land, recommends that those who had encroached on the land be evicted," the report said.

The report noted with concern that five former cabinet ministers and assistant ministers in the Ministry of Culture and Social Services owed the Government an outstanding Sh400,000 in unaccounted for imprests.

They include Cabinet Minister Jackson Kalweo (Health: Sh6,000); former Minister James Njiru (Sh265,447); Mrs Nyiva Mwendwa (Sh104,915); Mrs Grace Ogot (Sh90,000); and Mr Christopher Lomada (Sh11,813).

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