The Ministry of Lands has broken its silence after 367 title papers were reported stolen in a gazette notice on September 26, 2024.
In the gazette notice, Government Printer Abdi Hassan Ali said that title deed printing papers bearing the serial numbers 5253001-5253367 were lost and cautioned members of the public against being duped into buying land with the serial numbers.
“The government will not take any liability arising from any unauthorized transaction(s) on the said title deeds and that, by dint of this notice, they are deemed cancelled and of no effect on September 26, 2024,” Hassan said.
Lands Ministry responds
However, Ardhi House has come to disclose that the documents stolen at the government printer are the papers that are used for printing title deeds.
The Lands Ministry said that it relies on the government printer to provide security documents for the printing of title deeds and assured Kenyans that no titles had been stolen.
“We would like to reassure Kenyans that what was stolen at the government printer are not title deeds but the papers that are used for printing titles,” the statement from the Lands Ministry reads in part.
Adding: “The papers can only become title deeds after they are handed over to the Ministry of Lands, filled with ownership details, and sealed with the stamp and signature of the Registrar after all due processes are followed.”
Cartels blamed
Further, the Lands Ministry blames cartels for the theft and maintains that Ardhi House has enhanced its fight against land fraud.
“The most obvious motivation for the theft of the papers was an intention by corrupt cartels to produce fake titles. The Ministry of Lands has enhanced its mechanisms for fighting land fraud and is working closely with security agencies to defeat the mechanisms that cartels and corrupt officials have traditionally used to commit land fraud,” the statement reads.
Additionally, the Lands Ministry added that they will ensure the 367 stolen documents do not become title deeds.
Arrest
“The anti-corruption efforts will be applied to ensure that none of the documents that have been reported as stolen become a threat to land ownership,” the statement added.
Also, the Lands Ministry revealed that one person had been arrested following the incident and assured that the integrity of the titling process was intact.
