Swazuri, Ngilu in talks over Lands registry closure
Land commission chairman Mohammed Swazuri (right) and Lands Cabinet secretary Charity Ngilu. Photos/FILE
What you need to know:
Justice Majanja agreed to give both parties ample time to hold discussions and agree on a way forward.
Justice Majanja said that NLC and the Lands ministry are both State corporations which should work hand in hand.
Court to hear case on Monday.
The National Land Commission, Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu and the Attorney-General are in talks over the temporary closure of key offices at the ministry, a court heard on Friday.
Lands commission lawyer Waweru Gatonye told High Court Judge David Majanja that there are ongoing discussions that aim at reaching at a consensus over the dispute on the closure of registries and requested the case be heard later Friday afternoon.
“The parties at this moment are in discussions with a view to agree to consent, we request to be heard at 2.30pm,” said Mr Gatonye.
However Ms Ngilu, who was represented by State lawyer Stella Munyi said nothing would have happened then and instead the hearing to be pushed to Monday.
Justice Majanja agreed with Ms Munyi to give both parties ample time to hold discussions and agree on a way forward.
Justice Majanja said that NLC and the Lands ministry are both State corporations which should work hand in hand.
“These are two State corporations, never in the interest of this country should we have such, I’d rather you find the best way possible to solve this, let’s hear this on Monday,” the judge said.
The judge said that although NLC is an independent commission it is necessary that it should work in tandem with the ministry.
Mohammed Swazuri’s NLC had on Thursday moved to court following Ms Ngilu’s decision to close registries and suspend services.
The Lands commission claimed that Ms Ngilu’s move had paralysed transactions of services and was demanding for a declaration that the Cabinet Secretary’s actions were illegal.
Attorney-General Githu Muigai had also been sued alongside the minister.
The Swazuri team insisted that the decision to have a public notice published in newspapers announcing the closure of the premises was unjustified as it has denied them access to their place of work and the general public from being served.
They therefore demanded the court to issue orders for stopping the suspension of operations, as well as an uncontrolled access to the central registry, Nairobi registry, banking hall, Commission’s staff offices, and the public to Ardhi House whilst Ms Ngilu defended her actions saying they were meant to facilitate reforms at the registries.
NLC claimed that since Monday, the Lands ministry had deployed heavy armed officers to man the main gate entry to every floor and all corridors of Ardhi House including the Central registry, the Records registry, the Nairobi registry and the banking hall.
The Commission further claimed that the Lands ministry has deployed strangers who are neither employees of the commission nor the ministry but they suspect are university students to handle documents at the records registry which is the Swazuri team’s role.
They were afraid that the said strangers might tamper with the records or registers by plucking them out which would land the commission into trouble in their way of operation.
