Property attacks a threat to real estate, warn surveyors

Surveyors have asked the government to take full control of land transactions as frequent cases of property destruction threaten to undermine investor confidence.

Through their lobby, the Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK), they said recent incidents in which farms were torched and a residential house demolished after lease expiry bode ill for long term investments.

“No investor will readily sink funds in new projects or revamp ongoing multibillion shilling projects in tea, coffee, sisal and other cash crop production as they fear that politicians will incite an uprising to take over the properties,” said ISK chairman Steve Ambani.

A worker was recently killed and two others seriously injured during a violent confrontation between striking tea factory workers and law enforcement officers at Kapsumbeiywo Tea Factory in Nandi County.

Elsewhere, University of Nairobi lecturer Nazmudin Kurji’s house was demolished by a new owner who is said to have bought the prime property after her lease expired.

Mr Ambani said the government must state its position on the matter and reverse incidents where goons collude with public officials to alter land ownership details targeting prime land whose leases have expired.

They said the ongoing digitisation process for all land records must be fast-tracked and made public to curb incidents where unscrupulous individuals take advantage of ignorant land owners to grab property.

“We are requesting the government to declare public all records of land leases to enable owners know the process of renewing them. Any land officials found culpable should be ejected from office and criminally held liable for any damage caused to property,’’ he said in a statement.

ISK said any of its members implicated in suspect deals will lose practising licence. The lobby said county governments must follow the law that gives the National Land Commission (NLC) power to renew leases or reject renewal.

The NLC and the Land ministry should protect land records, it said, adding politicians should be guarded in their language regarding land ownership.

Prospective land owners, the surveyors said, should seek professional assistance before buying any land to safeguard against loss of their hard-earned money.

In the recent past leases belonging to multinational firms have come under scrutiny with politicians opposing renewal saying Kenyans should be allowed to take over the property.