A parliamentary committee has raised concerns about the ownership of the Kiambu National Polytechnic land.

The committee on education chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, which toured the facility, questioned the control of the land by the Board of Trustees, despite legal provisions transferring ownership to the institution.

During the fact-finding mission, the MPs demanded clarity over the ownership, title deeds and valuation of the institution’s 70 acres.

They further called for an urgent review of the institution’s governance and land ownership documents, demanding the original title and financial statements from the Trustees.

“The issue of land ownership at this institution is not new. In 2017, this committee looked into this same matter. The Board of Trustees, which was initially established to hold the land in trust for the public, has gradually morphed into a private entity,” said Melly.

Original title

Documents presented by the polytechnic showed that the institution sits on 70 acres, with the title deed being held by the National Treasury.

However, MPs questioned the whereabouts of the original title insisting that it be provided to them for verification.

Melly said that the TVET Act is clear that all properties of such institutions should be under the name of the institute.

He pledged to follow up on the matter to ensure the Polytechnic’s assets are properly aligned with the law and under public control.

“The TVET Act is clear. The role of trustees does not exist in the current legal framework. All properties of such institutions should be under the name of the institute, managed by the Board of Governors,” said Melly. “The public deserves to know that institutions like Kiambu National Polytechnic are operating transparently and within the law.”

Expressed dismay

According to the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Act, 2013, which came into force in June 2013, all assets of public TVET institutions should be managed and owned by the Board of Governors.

 “We need to see the mother title. What we have seen here is a lease. The land was originally freehold. So where is the original title deed today?” asked Gatundu North MP Njoroge Karuria.

“The fact that the original title is still held by trustees is very telling. It’s clear the land is not in the hands of this institution,” added Mandera South Abdul Haro. Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera expressed his dismay at the management structure and sought to know how the board of directors can hold in trust public and.

 “This is a very interesting management issue. Why would a Board of Trustees hold public land meant for a public institution? This defeats the purpose of public ownership,” he said.

Maungu said that the committee will not tolerate any inconsistency and demanded that they see the financial statement of the institution.

“This committee cannot ignore these inconsistencies. We need a clear inventory of all land assets, their titles, and current management structure. And we must see the financial statements of the Board of Trustees,” said Maungu.

Community contributions

But in his  response, the institution’s Principal Sammy Waititu said that the polytechnic was established in 1971 through an initiative spearheaded by President Jomo Kenyatta. Initially, 200 acres were purchased through community contributions.

“In 2017, the then president directed that the land be officially handed over to the institution. As a result, we now have 70 acres with the lease held by the National Treasury. However, the original title remains with the Board of Trustees,” said the principal.