Nairobi, March 30 -- Speaking while on a visit to Kwale County recently, Nixon Korir, the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Lands and Physical Planning, recently disclosed that he had written to the Interior Ministry to have land registries categorised as critical national infrastructure, and protected accordingly.

Coming after an incident in which the Nyando Land Registry in Kisumu County burnt up, this is a good idea. Indeed, this should always have been the case.

The measure should be extended to the Survey of Kenya offices too, the repository of our cadastral maps.

The strategic importance of the Lands ministry to national development need not be overemphasised. The ministry is responsible for our national cadastre, e...