The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs & Energy has directed the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to urgently acquire title deeds for all land under its management.

This directive follows troubling revelations that 11 parcels of KCAA land have been irregularly allocated to private individuals.

The Committee, chaired by Hon. David Pkosing (Pokot South), made the resolution during a session held on Wednesday 4^th June 2025, that reviewed KCAA’s audited accounts for the financial years 2018/2019 to 2021/2022.

KCAA Director General, Mr. Emile Arao, told the Committee that the affected land is located at the Central Transmission Station in Mlolongo, Machakos County.

He elaborated that originally measuring 160 acres, the property has been unlawfully subdivided, with 11 parcels covering approximately 4.13 now registered under private ownership.

“Hon. Chairman, we reached out to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in April 2022 and again in June 2023, seeking help to recover the illegally acquired land,” Mr. Arao reported.

He added that the Survey of Kenya had confirmed the irregular allocations and advised KCAA to initiate legal recovery processes.

However, members of the Committee expressed concern over what they described as a slow and inadequate response by KCAA in securing its assets.

“Why has it taken you so long to obtain a court injunction to stop further encroachment?” asked Hon. Pkosing.

Hon. Mwangi Kiunjuri (Laikipia East) supported the concern, calling for an on-site inspection to assess the extent of encroachment firsthand. He warned of a possible scenario where KCAA could face eviction from its own land due to the absence of proper documentation.

“Mr. Chairman, the person who holds the title deed is considered the legal owner. Without it, KCAA could be accused of squatting. This Committee must visit the site and establish the actual status on the ground,” said Hon. Kiunjuri.

The situation worsened when it emerged that KCAA lacks title deeds for any of its land in Mlolongo. Mr. Arao told the Committee that even efforts to conduct a land search at the Ministry of Lands had hit a dead end.

“The files are missing. We went to the Ministry for a search, but we’ve received no response. The 11 disputed parcels already have title deeds registered under private individuals,” he said.

This disclosure prompted further questions from Committee members. Hon. Duncan Mathenge (Nyeri Town) questioned the apparent lack of transparency at the Ministry of Lands.

“If digitization of land records has been ongoing, why is it still impossible to trace these documents?” he asked.

Hon. Kazungu Tungule (Ganze) sought clarity on the size of the encroached land. “You’re saying that from the original 160 acres, the contested 11 parcels only cover about 4 acres? Mr. DG, can you walk us through how this happened?” he asked.

Confirming the figures, Mr. Arao responded, “Yes, Chair. The irregularly occupied land adds up to 4.1271 acres.”

Following the session, the Committee unanimously directed KCAA to act without delay to safeguard public land.

“This Committee has resolved that KCAA must immediately place a caution on the 11 disputed parcels at the Lands Registry as you proceed with legal action,” Hon. Pkosing ordered.

The Committee also flagged other KCAA projects during the session, including the 31 housing units at Nyali, staff houses in Bamburi and Miritini, and infrastructure at the East African School of Aviation—all of which were marked with audit queries.

Separately, the Committee Chairperson tasked the Inspectorate of Directorates and the National Treasury to provide updates on the planned merger of state agencies under the Committee’s oversight, emphasizing the need to prevent the loss of public funds.