Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary, Generali Nixon Korir, says there are no existing records to indicate that preacher Paul Mackenzie owns 800 acres of land in Shakahola, Kilifi County.
During his appearance before the Senate Ad hoc committee investigating the Shakahola deaths, the Lands PS said that the government lacks any evidence to support the claim that Mackenzie owns the land where the bodies of the cult victims were discovered.
“We are not aware of any lease to Mackenzie that is registered to us, we are not aware of any disputes in regards to parcels of land in Shakahola. There are allegations that Mackenzie owns acres, but we do not have any evidence,” Korir told the committee.
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According to the PS, the land where the tragic Shakahola incident took place was unoccupied and is actually a part of the 50,000-acre Chakama Ranch. He further explained that the lease for the ranch is set to expire in 2029.
Korir assured that the Ministry of Lands will investigate cases similar to the one in Shakahola, where individuals exploit unutilized land for criminal activities.
“To those who do not meet conditions of owning the ranch, there is a way government can revert the land and re-allocate to individuals who can make good use of it,” said the PS.
