NLC ask lawmakers for additional Sh1.3bn in supplementary budget

The National Lands Commission (NLC) has warned that critical services such as digitisation of land records risk being affected if it does not get Sh1.3 billion in the supplementary budget.

NLC chairman Gershom Otachi yesterday told the National Assembly committee on lands that the commission will be forced to scale down a number of core services due to massive budget cuts.

He told MPs that NLC had already advertised for a tender to upgrade its ICT infrastructure in order to link its headquarters in Nairobi with their county ones to reduce physical visits, but the activity is now in jeopardy.

“The commission will not be able to purchase ICT networking, communication equipment and software earmarked for this financial year 2022/2023.NLC had advertised a tender on upgrading of computer infrastructure and service level agreement that is ongoing and is earmarked for payment in November,” Mr Ottachi told the lawmakers.

“ICT networking is very key in the land sector reforms since NLC had planned to connect its county offices to improve service delivery,” he added.

Appearing before the committee yesterday over the supplementary budget estimates, Mr Ottachi said the NLC’s budget was cut by Sh146 million following a directive by President William Ruto to reduce the overall budget for the current financial year by Sh300 billion.

Mr Otachi told MPs that among the services that the commission will scale down are the issuance of allotment letters to public institutions from the current 2,800 to 2,000 annually, and titling and movement of land administration officers to offices and schools across the country. Also set to be affected by the budget cut is the management of information on public lands and payment of gazette notices for compulsory land acquisitions.

“These activities are information oriented and without funds for site inspections and public engagement forums, the planned activities will be untenable,” Mr Ottachi told MPs.

Research hampered

NLC said the budget cut will also hamper research, feasibility studies, project preparation and design and project supervision.

“Many of the earmarked research activities will not be done based on the planned work plans, hence jeopardising land research-based activities,” Mr Ottachi said.

The commission staff who applied for loans will also suffer a setback as there is no allocation for it, a move Mr Ottachi said will demoralise them.

He, however, told the lawmakers that they will keep knocking on Treasury’s doors on their requests until they get some additional funds in order to offer better services to Kenyans.

“We can only keep knocking and you never know what might happen, Treasury might not give us what we want but give us at least something to undertake the affected activities,” said Mr Otachi.

Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai admitted that NLC needs support to undertake its activities.

“I don’t know what will be done to NLC because they have problems and I don’t think they are getting the support needed,” Dr Nyamai said.

The lands committee will now present the NLC’s requests to the Budget and Appropriation Committee to justify the Sh1.3 billion before the House approves the final supplementary budget.