National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri tenure is coming to an end on February 19, 2019. The tenure was marked with a lot of controversies, incompetencies and corruption allegations as well as several court hearings shrouding his six-year term.
Swazuri is expected to exit the office alongside his nine-member team after their mandatory six-year term.
On February 15, MPs delivered a harsh verdict over the performance of the commission, accusing outgoing commissioners of having failed Kenyans during their term.
The National Assembly’s Lands Committee indicted the commissioners, whose tenure comes to an end next week, over their failure to address 388 complaints from the public on matters touching on historical land injustices.
Land has always been one of the most politically sensitive topics in Kenya and a complex one for that matter. From ownership to administration and tenure, it remains a thorn in the flesh as Kenyans seek to address the problems associated with it.
But this is just a tip on the iceberg. Swazuri, a land economist, said he had always been driven by the fear and respect for God.
Will he manage to fight off these accusations and allegations when he quits office? Will he have the power that comes with the office?
Well, some people say that It would be a great honour if Swazuri actually fights these claims in court and wins before it is too late for him.
When Swazuri took office in 2013, Kenyans hoped that the newly established commission would bring to an end the myriad of problems associated with land and at the same time protect public land.
On March 29, 2018, Swazuri was sent away from a parliamentary committee hearing after being termed a hostile witness.
A petitioner claimed that Swazuri received Sh1.2 million to process compensation for standard gauge railway land.
In June 2018, investigations zeroed in on Swazuri over the controversial payment of Sh1.5 billion compensation for the controversial Ruaraka land.
The National Assembly committee on land recommended that Swazuri be investigated and possibly prosecuted even as the EACC confirmed it has separately recommended the prosecution of 25 officials over the saga after concluding its investigations.
ons with questions regarding the over alleged purchase of land for the first phase of the standard gauge railway.
During the same year, seven NLC commissioners testified against Swazuri.