Parliament has launched investigations into alleged grabbing and encroachment of land belonging to Kitale National Polytechnic, with lawmakers calling for the recovery of all public property found to have been illegally acquired.
The Parliamentary Committee on Public Investments, led by Luanda MP Dick Maungu, visited the institution following an audit query over alleged illegal occupation and acquisition of its land.
Maungu said the committee had identified several parcels allegedly occupied by private individuals, raising questions over how the properties were transferred from public to private ownership.
“As you are aware, today the Parliamentary Committee on Public Investments visited Kitale National Polytechnic following an audit query that arose because of illegal encroachment of public land,” Maungu said.
The committee chairman said one of the disputed sections covers 25 acres, with nine acres allegedly under the control of a private individual who obtained a title deed in 1999.
“We have a section of 25 acres. Out of these 25, nine have been encroached by one individual who happens to have gotten the title in 1999,” Maungu said.
He questioned how the individual obtained the title when records showed that the polytechnic had already secured an enrolment relating to the property.
“The question is, how did this one person, who from the records is a big family in Kitale, get a title for nine acres that belongs to Kitale National Polytechnic?” Maungu asked.
Maungu said another 16-acre section had allegedly been occupied by several individuals, while a separate parcel measuring about 22 acres had also been encroached on.
The committee has asked the National Land Commission to investigate the circumstances under which land allocated to Kitale National Polytechnic ended up in private hands.
“We are calling upon the National Land Commission to commence an investigation into how this land that belongs to the public, having been allocated to Kitale National Polytechnic, found itself in private hands,” Maungu said.
The committee will also seek information from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on the findings of its inquiries into the alleged land grabbing.
Maungu linked the disputed land to security concerns around the institution, saying students had reportedly experienced serious incidents in areas affected by the alleged encroachment.
The committee is expected to retreat and prepare a report detailing its findings before recommending measures to safeguard and recover the institution’s land.
Kiminini MP Kakai Bisau, a member of the committee, said recovering the disputed property would allow Kitale National Polytechnic to use its land for training and institutional development.
“I think that is what this committee is trying to find out and ensuring that Kitale National Polytechnic has its land returned to the school,” Bisau said.
He said the land was particularly important because the institution offers practical courses that require adequate space for training and experimentation.
“This is a polytechnic that teaches many things, including agriculture and technology, so we wish that they are able to practise and make use of that land for gainful engagement,” Bisau said.
Kitale National Polytechnic Principal Tom Mulati welcomed Parliament’s intervention, saying the institution would work with government agencies to protect its property.
“We will work with this committee and all the government agencies so that we can make sure that this land, this institution, can be used in the future,” Mulati said.
