This archive report was first published on 13 July 2021.
July 13, 2021, will be remembered as a day of drama at the Murang'a lands office, where police officers stormed in to arrest journalists who had pitched their tent outside, seeking an audience with the registrar.
The journalists had received complaints from the public that they were not being served appropriately, and after talking to the aggrieved residents, they sought to meet with the registrar. However, she was not available.
Minutes later, police officers arrived, claiming they had received a call from a staff member who alleged that 'unknown people' were filming the offices. However, the officers left shortly after the reporters explained their mission.
Residents who had been coming to the office daily to seek services accused the staff of laxity in their work, with some claiming that their transactions had been pending for five years. Kamau Gichia from Mugoiri Kahuro said he had been seeking a title deed for his parcel of land for five years, only to be told every time that there was an error that needed to be rectified.
'A procedure which usually takes a month is taking years to be concluded, and this is very frustrating,' Kamau said.
James Wainaina from Kigumo claimed that an unknown person had put a caveat on his parcel of land, and despite his efforts to have it lifted, he had been referred to the next visit every time.
'I don't know what is so hard to get the name of this person because I am the sole inheritor of the land,' he said.
Nahashon Mbogo alleged that cartels had taken over the running of the operations of the Lands office, requiring visitors to part with cash to get services. 'The brokers collude with officers inside the office and they ask for money for one to be assisted in getting services,' he said.
Kenneth Maguta claimed that he had several title deeds yet to be processed, which had delayed his projects. 'A lot of people come here but they go back home frustrated because they don't get served and they have to make numerous visits before being assisted,' he said.
Maguta called upon the cabinet secretary for lands, Farida Karoney, to intervene and streamline the operations in this registry. 'If things don't change, we are going to demand the closure of this office because it is not serving people as required,' he added.
