BusinessCrime WatchHomeMain StoryNational NewsNewsPolitics
Lands CS Alice Wahome puts registrars on notice over revenue theft
She says measures have been put in place to digitise all transactions to curb loss of revenue as the ministry gears to double the annual collection from Sh15 billion to Sh30 billion
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has put land registry officials on notice over theft of government revenue.
The CS, who spoke in Kiambu County after making impromptu visits to two local lands registries, said she has information that revenue was disappearing in people’s pockets and warned that those who don’t toe the line have no place in the ministry.
She said according to land valuation procedures, land registries in Kiambu, for instance, are supposed to receive 4 per cent of any transactions, but some unscrupulous officers often strike deals with property buyers and reduce the rates.
However, Wahome said measures have been put in place to digitise all transactions to curb loss of revenue as the ministry gears to double the annual collection from Sh15 billion to Sh30 billion.
“We are duty bound to offer efficient service to Kenyans and any loss of revenue is likely to affect our operations as department,” said Wahome at the Ruiru Lands registry where she was accompanied by area MP Simon King’ara.
Earlier, she had visited the Kiambu Lands registry where she gave registrars and other officials a dressing down, saying they must up their game of meeting revenue targets or ship out.
At same time, Wahome announced plans to renovate and expand land registries across the country, noting that many of them lacked space to offer effective service to the public.
She singled out the Ruiru and Kiambu registries where the ministry had to improvise and put metal containers to serve as additional office space.
However, as a long term measure, the CS said the premises will have to be expanded to meet the growing demand for services mostly occasioned by subdivision of land parcels in the peri-urban areas of Kiambu, Kajiado and other counties neighbouring Nairobi.
