Senators demand reforms at NLC over delayed compensation for displaced landowners
The legislators are now pushing for changes requiring the NLC to first receive compensation funds before project-affected persons sign any agreements to surrender their land for development.
Senators have demanded immediate reforms at the National Land Commission (NLC), accusing it of causing unnecessary suffering through delays in compensating landowners whose property was acquired for government projects.
The legislators are now pushing for changes requiring the NLC to first receive compensation funds before project-affected persons sign any agreements to surrender their land for development.
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Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah criticised the land commission for its continued failure to release compensation to landowners whose property was compulsorily acquired by government agencies.
He cited the Ejinja-Bumala road project in Busia and Kakamega counties, where he said hundreds of affected families are still waiting for compensation years after their land was taken.
“The NLC, in its response to my request for information on the delay in compensating the landowners, cited lack of funds, lack of requisite documentation and unending succession processes as the reasons for the delay,” Omtatah said.
Routine justifications
He noted that these have become routine justifications from the commission for delayed payments, despite the suffering caused to affected individuals and communities.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa vowed to mobilise fellow senators to adjourn House business once sittings resume to address the issue of compensation for project-affected persons.
He accused the NLC of failing in its mandate to ensure timely and fair compensation, pointing to residents of Kabete, Gitaru and Ndeiya in Kiambu County who have not been paid for their land.
“We need to stop every other business because this is a matter of national importance, that the government is trespassing on people’s properties. When you build a road on somebody’s private land and you deny them compensation, you are a thief grabbing their land,” Thang’wa said.
He also called for legislative reforms that would compel NLC to ensure compensation is paid upfront.
“We need to make it mandatory for NLC that before it agrees to the signing of any contract, affected persons should be compensated or must be compensated,” he added.
Investigate delays
In response to the growing concerns, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi directed the Senate Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources to investigate the reasons behind delays by acquiring entities in remitting full compensation funds to the NLC.
The committee, chaired by Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, is also expected to look into the steps being taken to resolve succession-related disputes that have hindered compensation.
Additionally, the committee will probe the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development for its alleged failure to submit critical documentation, such as evaluation reports, award letters, and statements of acceptance, to the commission. These records are necessary to complete the evaluation and payment of claims.
Last year, the NLC was in the spotlight for holding onto at least Sh4 billion meant for compensating Kenyans displaced by government projects.
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