, MOMBASA, Kenya, Feb 21 – The National Land Commission (NLC) Friday said it needed Sh4.5bn in the 2020/21 financial year to execute its reform plan terming a proposed Sh1.27 billion allocation as inadequate.
NLC Chairperson Gershom Otachi who has been in office for three months now said the Sh1.27 allocated to them in this current financial year is minimal and cannot adequately finance day-to-day operations of the commission.
“In this current year, our
budgetary allocation is about Sh1.27 billion. Our wish was more than double
that amount, around Sh4 billion,” said Otachi.
He said in the 2020/2021
financial year, they have requested for a Sh4.5 billion budget, but the amount
was not approved by the national government.
“Next financial year, we have
come with a proposal of about Sh4.5 billion and I think what has been approved
in about Sh1.3 billion, which is way below what we have requested,” he said.
He was speaking during the inaugural
consultative meeting between NLC and the National Assembly Lands Committee at
English Point Hotel in Mombasa on Friday.
Otachi said for the past three
months they have been office; they have been trying to come up with a strategy
paper that will help them deal with challenges impeding the commission’s mandate.
“We have been analyzing the
challenges that the commission has been facing. We found challenges in top
leadership, budgetary allocations and legislations. We have now embarked on
preparation of strategic plan that will guide us on how to deliver on our
mandate,” he said.
Former lawmaker Kazungu Kambi, a
member of the commission said, the National Assembly should help empower NLC through
supportive pieces of legislation.
“I have been there (an MP), and I know these
committees are very strong. Give back our powers and we shall deliver on our
mandate,” said Kambi.
Kitui South MP Rachel
Nyamai, who is also the Chairperson of the National Assembly Lands Committee, committed
to seeking additional funding for NLC.
However, she said the new team at
NLC must prove capable of handling land issues in the country.
She also challenged the
Otachi-led team to rebrand NLC in order to win back the trust of Kenyans.
“The new commission has a serious
role of first to rebrand. I believe their funding is low, but they need to show
their functions first. The money will follow the functions,” she said.
Post Views:
76
