A decision by Lands and Physical Planning PS Nixon Korir to reshuffle staff to improve services is reportedly facing a threat from the Judiciary and powerful forces within government.
The PS recently issued a directive for transfers of staff who have served in the same duty station for long durations and those who were working in stations where there were complaints about the quality of service.
Those transferred include officials from all sections of the department, including land registrars, land adjudication officers and clerical officers, among others.
But some powerful forces, some within the Public Service Commission, are trying hard to reverse some of the transfers.
According to reports, several of those who were transferred have either rushed to court or are using powerful individuals to revoke their transfers.
The Star understands that some individuals at the Public Service Commission are also involved in the attempts to reverse the transfer of some of the officers who were moved.
The developments have become a concern for other members of staff who are now whispering that such moves are unfair and work against measures to reduce corruption and other forms of malpractice.
The Lands department handles huge revenue, estimated at Sh13 billion in the past financial year, and is also viewed as the target of powerful cartels in land and property business.
Last month, PS Korir told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands that the department can collect more money if it was funded adequately.
There is also apprehension within the department that the Industrial Court might issue injunctions and orders to block the transfers.
Judges of the Industrial Court have on many occasions before issued orders stopping the transfers at the department raising eyebrows about the soundness of such decisions.
The Judiciary itself does not allow judges to work in the same station for more than three years and they are frequently reshuffled.
An officer who was transferred from an upcountry town to Nairobi who spoke to the Star said the possibility of the transfers being reversed was a big concern for majority of the public servants in the ministry.
He said if the transfers are revoked then he will have to go back to his former work station where he has previously served for close to a decade.
"All public service employees sign up to work in any station where they are posted to. Transfers are meant to rotate staff so that some are not consigned to work forever in stations that might have poorer working conditions. It is also meant to combat malpractice," the officer who sought anonymity said.
He said some of those who were transferred from Nairobi are so confident that they would return to their places.
"Some are yet to clear their desks and are confidently telling the rest of us that they will come back. It is demoralising if the person I replaced comes back and I am told to go back," he said.
The officer said the reshuffle, which he described as long overdue, and other efforts to improve work conditions have raised staff morals. He said power tussles and competition between senior officials have stopped after the PS streamlined the operational processes.
Another recent development at Ardhi House was the change of security.
A new unit from the critical infrastructure protection unit took over the security of the building which houses the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning and the Department of Housing and Urban Development in March.
The change of security came after the declaration of all land registries as vital installations which was made after PS Korir wrote to his Interior Security counterpart on February 28 asking for the enhancement of security for all land registries.
On March 13, the Interior Security ministry issued a circular to all regional commissioners and county commissioners instructing them to beef up security for all land registries.
PS Korir’s communication followed the fire incident in Nyando Land Registry, Kisumu county, which razed critical land records affecting more than 170,000 parcels of land.
The PS and CS Zachariah Njeru two weeks ago toured the Coast region where they held meetings with the National Assembly Committee on Lands to brainstorm on the National Rating Bill.
The Bill is designed to create a uniform law that will enable counties to collect property rates. The CS and the PS also issued 1,200 title deeds, the first exercise of its kind since President William Ruto’s administration came into office.
They also visited Tana River county where they assured residents of Garsen that the Kenya Kwanza will solve perennial land problems regarding lack of title deeds in the area.
While addressing residents of Tana River on March 31, the PS spoke about the transfers, saying they were aimed at improving the efficiency of the department and reducing the chances of corrupt practices that can result from familiarity due to staff serving for many years in the same station.
The PS was responding to Galole MP Said Hiribae who raised complaints about services in Tana River County.
“We have recently transferred the land adjudication officer who was here to Nairobi and brought a new one to improve services,” the PS said.
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