Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) chairman Stephen Ambani at a past media briefing. [Photo|the-star]
The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) draws has raised concerns, after a local daily (Daily Nation) published an article yesterday, explaining the re-emergence of cartels preying on expired land leases.ISK chairman Stephen Ambani, has lamented that the article does not inspire confidence in reforms undertaken in the land sector and particularly by the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission, therefore wrongly portraying land sector professionals and other stakeholders as accomplices to re-emergence of cases of land cartels.He said the article entitled “Cartels swindle land owners in lease scam" taints the image of land sector professionals.Addressing the press, Ambani indicated Lands Ministry recently constituted two task-forces to develop regulations operationalising the recently enacted land laws and to investigate issues surrounding renewal and extension of land leases, reform which are in their final stages.
“We note that the Ministry just recently constituted two taskforces, one to develop regulations operationalising the recently enacted land laws and the other one to investigate issues surrounding renewal and extension of land leases," he said, Friday.
He defended surveyors from the case, saying it will be inappropriate to single out the Surveyor as the professional who facilitates irregularities, since a surveyor only gets involved at the tail end of the leasing processing cycle, after the County Government has done the allocation.He further challenged Lands Cabinet Secretary to take advantage of the resumption of the 12th parliament to gazette the regulations operationalising land laws, to avoid cases of land lease cartels.Ambani also urged the two taskforce to complete their findings and share with public and the National Land Commission so as to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to address emerging concerns in the land sector.