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| Kisite Island, Swiss investor Alessandro Torriani has advertised to sell it at Sh1.5 billion. Photo/Elkana Jacob |
A foreign investor of Swiss origin, Alessandro Torrian, had advertised the island for sale, sparking an uproar among tourism players and residents.
Torrian had offered the park for Sh1.5 billion after claiming ownership of the park under a 99-year leasehold title which had been converted from freehold status. The island is 40km from Ukunda islands and is 39 square kilometres in size.
Speaking to the Star, Swazuri said the commission has established that the land is still a gazetted national park under a notice dated 1973. “We have found out that the land is a public land and no one can purchase protected land under gazette notice,” he said.
He said he initially met the investor who showed him titles to the piece of land before consulting the Kenya Wildlife Service officials. KWS and Torrian are in an ownership dispute.
“He showed us the documents but there might have been foul play because no one can engage in transacting a public owned national park,” he said. He said KWS provided a gazette notice of 1973 which established the park as public land.
Swazuri said he will convene another meeting with the investor to establish if he has a de-gazettement notice which would have allowed him to purchase the land.
“A piece of land which has been initially gazetted can only be sold if the government de-gazettes it,” he said. The Kisite Mpunguti island has been at the centre of controversy after the Kwale county government levied a one USD (about Sh85) fee to all tourists visiting the site.
The county added the levy as part of a USD 20 (Sh1,680) revenue target by KWS from February this year. The fee has sparked uproar from stakeholders in the sector.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118812/kisite-island-public-land-says-swazuri
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