State to revoke Kwale park title

BY TOBIAS CHANJI

Dr Swazuri says Swiss national is illegally holding a title deed for two islands that are State property

A title deed awarded to a Swiss national for ownership of two islands on the Kenyan south coast will be cancelled, Government officials have said.

They said the transfer of the properties to Alessandro Torriani was null and void. Mr Torriani has laid claim to two islands in Kisite Mpunguti near Shimoni on the Kwale County mainland, which are adjacent to each other.He recently put up an advertisement to sell them, sparking a storm of protests from local leaders and residents.

Touring the islands at the weekend led by National Land Commission chairman Dr Mohammed Swazuri, the officials declared that the disputed properties that cumulatively measure 39 square kilometres landed in the investor’s possession dubiously.

Those present were commissioners Abdikadir Sharrif and Rose Musyoka, Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and Kwale County Commissioner Evans Achoki. “I have gone through paperwork and documentation and there is enough evidence to show that this land landed on this purported owner’s hands wrongly,” said Swazuri yesterday.

The chairman was categorical that under gazette notices of 1973 and 1978, the said land was a gazetted public property for a national reserve and marine park which used to be known as the Government land which could also be leased.

NATURE CONSERVATION

“A gazetted area is a protected one to be used for purposes of nature conservation and therefore anything that was done to transfer this land is null and void. There must be a notice to degazette the same but up to close of business yesterday we haven’t seen any degazettement,” Swazuri said.

Swazuri described the islands as priceless gems that earn Kenya billions of shillings in fish and tourist revenues. 

He said Mr Torriani should stop advertising the islands, now manned by police, for sale until he demonstrates to the commission how he acquired the land.

“All agencies involved say it was irregularly and illegally acquired and are still unsure how it was allocated,” he said.

The agencies that have questioned its legality according to a report in Swazuri’s possession are the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Ministry of Lands.