President Uhuru Kenyatta has Gazetted the appointment of the new National Land Commission (NLC).
Gerishom Otachi will lead the Commission for the next six years following the end of Dr Muhammad Swazuri’s controversial six-year term, which saw him charged in court over a multi-million shilling land deal.
Otachi, currently the chair of Geothermal Development Corporation, served in the defence team of six Kenyans, including President Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at the ICC for crimes against humanity.
ICC judges dismissed charges against the six Kenyans.
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The President also picked former Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi, Prof James Tuitoek, Getrude Nduku Nguku, Reginald Okumu, former Labour Cabinet Secretary Samuel Kazungu Kambi, Ms Hubbie Hussein Al-Haji, Mr Alister Murimi Mutugi and former Isiolo Woman Rep Tiya Galgalo to serve as NLC commissioners.
This Gazzete notice comes days the National Assembly threw out sections of a report by the lands committee that rejected the nomination of Galgalo.
In a stormy debate, the House amended the report to include Galgalo who was rejected by the committee for allegedly failing to file her tax returns in the year 2017.
The selection panel received 117 applications for chair’s position and 940 for members.
The approval ends the long wait at NLC which has been without commissioners since the exit of the Swazuri-led team in February.