Three new land surveyors sworn in |25 March 2013

Ravi Valmont, Julien Alexis and Thomas Mutinda Kavivya took their oath in the presence of the Minister for Land Use and Housing Christian Lionnet in a ceremony held recently at the Independence House.

Others present were principal secretary for land use and housing Yves Choppy, members of the land surveyors board, surveyors and staff of the ministry.

The three surveyors applied for land surveyor’s licence to the board  mid last year.
They carried out surveys to demonstrate field experience and compliance to the provision of the land survey act, and sat for three exams.

Director of surveys Denis Barbé said Messrs Valmont, Alexis and Kavivya are now entitled to be licensed and the necessary recommendations have been forwarded to the Seychelles Licensing Authority to that effect.

Mr Kavivya is a Kenyan national who has been working with the ministry since 2011. He graduated from the University of Jomo Kenyatta of Agriculture and Technology in Nairobi.

Mr Alexis graduated from the University of East London in 2011 and has been working in the ministry since 1998 while Mr Valmont, a graduate of the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, joined the ministry in 1996.

In his address, Mr Choppy said the swearing in ceremony marks a milestone for the surveying profession in Seychelles.
Mr Choppy said for the last two years the number of qualified land surveyors working for the ministry has dramatically decreased.

“Though we have taken a step forward, it must be with realisation that we could have done better,” he said.

Mr Choppy said nine years for a new cohort to be sworn in is a long time as the last ceremony was held in 2004.