The Public Investment Committee on Thursday grilled the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) on missing title deeds for parcels of land worth Ksh2.9 billion.
While questioning the KPA Managing Director, Captain William Ruto, the MPs established that the Authority did not have title deeds for 17 parcels of land.
The legislators raised concern about the parcels of land during the examination of the Kenya Ports Authority’s Audited Accounts for FY 2019/2020 and 2020/2021.
“Captain, do you realize how the risk of extinction of the Authority’s land is? Have you placed any caveat to prevent any transactions regarding the said parcels? questioned Pokot South MP, David Pkosing.
The MPs during the grilling session claimed the existence of collaborators who did not want the issue of KPA land to be solved.
In his response, the KPA director noted several land-grabbing cases in court and elaborated that KPA had filed affidavits for the issuance of provisional title and cautions to protect the Authority's interests.
“Some plots were grabbed from KPA and cases are in court while others were consolidated, leading to new titles. Actions to secure new titles are underway," noted Captain Ruto, the KPA director.
Following a response by the KPA director, the MPs noted that the authority was moving at a snail's pace to secure government property, which the lawmakers said was at risk of being grabbed.
"The greatest asset with KPA is land, yet it’s gone. MD, I want you to move with speed and put measures which can include securing caveat to protect KPA Land,” claimed West Pokot MP, Pkosing.
Lawmakers accused the KPA management of laxity in taking care of the authority's properties, especially unutilized property that was left unmanned.
Concerns were also raised about eight employees who had been in acting capacity for too long, a move the Committee considered illegal.
According to the MPs, employees should not be kept in acting capacity for over six months as per the then KPA Human Resource Policy.
