By Betty Luke
Few days after Isiolo Governor Mohammed Kuti said registration of community land that will pave way for titling process was on course and that leaders from the county were to meet National Land Commission officials last Thursday, a section of the leaders have told him off.
Dr Kuti has been at loggerheads with Senator Fatuma Dullo, Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa, Nominated Senator Abshiro Halake and Isiolo North MP Hassan Odha and his South counterpart Abdi Koropu over the registration process.
The MPs have been opposing the two Legal notices (the initial LN 150 of 2019 and the amended one) on grounds that adequate public participation was not done prior to issuing of the schedule that excluded Isiolo Township, Resort City, Lapsset Corridor route, Kenya Defence Forces School of Infantry and Combat Engineering (SOCE), National Reserves and Holding grounds from the process.
The leaders, who alongside residents moved to court to have the process stopped and the notice revoked, have been demanding the process done afresh in line with Community Land Act 2016.
The Ministry of Lands early last year amended the gazette notice despite pending matters in court and allowed adjudication at townships and settled areas and like the previous one, protected the Resort City, Lapsset Corridor route, Military and security installations, National Reserves and Holding Grounds.
Governor Kuti last Tuesday told journalists in Isiolo town that the registration of community land will be completed in a year’s time as ‘his adminstration had won all cases lodged against it in court’ and that the county leadership was to meet NLC officials for inclusivity.
“We have made great strides. We won the cases that some of the leaders lodged against us and also won after they appealed. We do not have any case at the moment that bars us. We have a zoom meeting between NLC and all elected leaders coming Thursday and the Senators, MPs and MCAs will be invited so that we speed up the registration process,” the Governor said adding that it will help end the border disputes.
But Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa said she was not aware of such a meeting, that Kuti said was to be held virtually on May 6.
“I was not aware of such a meeting. I was not invited,” Ms Jaldesa told thepresspoint.com.
The MP further said that the cases that were pending in court, where they sought orders to stop the process, were still active as they (together with other MPs) had re-appealed an earlier decision by the court.
“We sought an order to stop the process which we were denied, but we have appealed and the matter is still active,” the legislator said.
