Lands staff locked out of offices

 Tuesday, June 3, 2014
 
Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu briefs the media on the re-opening of the Nairobi Central registries and Banking hall at Ardhi House in Nairobi on May 18, 2014. Increasing efficiency at the Lands ministry went a notch higher yesterday after late-coming staff were locked out. PHOTO/SALATON NJAU  

By MAZERA NDURYA
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In Summary

• The ministry has been carrying out reforms to change staff attitude who have been blamed for the rot at the Lands offices.
• The minister and Principal Secretary Mariamu El Maawy have desks at the tents, where they occasionally sit to serve the public.
• The ministry converted what used to be the library into offices where first consent for renewal of leases is being carried before processing by the National Lands Commission.

Increasing efficiency at the Lands ministry went a notch higher yesterday after late-coming staff were locked out.

Staff who arrived at Ardhi House, Nairobi, from 9am were told to go away while those who came on time were serving the public.

The lock out was supervised by a senior administrative officer and caught the workers by surprise.

The ministry has been carrying out reforms to change staff attitude who have been blamed for the rot at the Lands offices.

Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu, reports to work at 6.30am and supervises the work in the tents set up outside Ardhi House in the new plan to clean services at the ministry headquarters.

“Although I come to work at 6.30am, it does not mean that everyone should come at that time, but everyone has to be at their work stations within the stipulated time,” Ms Ngilu said.

She added: “I am happy that most of workers have taken the changes positively and everything is working according to plan.”

ATTITUDE CHANGE

The minister and Principal Secretary Mariamu El Maawy have desks at the tents, where they occasionally sit to serve the public.

Last week, Land Development and Governance Institute executive director Mwenda Makathimo said employee attitude needs to be addressed since the gains made in reforming the ministry would not count for much if the staff continued to frustrate people seeking services.

“We still receive complaints from the public who go to Ardhi House that they are either kept waiting or asked to leave their documents and come back after a number of days only to find nothing has been done.

Land Institute chairman Ibrahim Mwathane told an audit report on the Lands ministry said: “Land reforms go beyond rearranging files and should also target the attitude.”

Ms Ngilu said that many changes were part of the reforms, which has improved service at the headquarters.

The ministry converted what used to be the library into offices where first consent for renewal of leases is being carried before processing by the National Lands Commission.

SERVING THE PUBLIC

Streamlining operations 

Last month the Cabinet Secretary ordered the closure of the registries, which saw students from Kenyatta University and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology hired to conduct an audit.

The Treasury has allocated Sh2 billion for the reorganisation of the Lands ministry in the 2014/2015 fiscal year. The cash will go towards titling and digitisation.