Some 3657 titles will have been issued to land owners in Bomet County by Wednesday in the government’s renewed push to issue the essential document to people who have stayed on their lands without the documents according to Industrialization, Trade Enterprise Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ms Betty Maina.
While issuing title deeds in Sigor and Bomet Central sub-counties, the CS said that following the directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta, the government is targeting to issue title deeds to Kenyans who own land and do not have the documents to prove ownership.
“As a directive from President Uhuru Kenyatta, the government is targeting to issue title deeds to Kenyans who own land and do not have the documents to prove ownership, she said.
“This directive seeks to resolve the historical tensions that existed on land ownership, allocation, distribution, and utilization and their linkages to the nation’s socio-economic and political development,” said the CS.
The CS further noted that 2013 records indicated that around 67 per cent of land in Kenya had still not been adjudicated and had no titles.
People on community land suffered disadvantages, as they could not unlock the commercial value of that land.
“Therefore, the issuance of title deeds today allows you to put your land to productive use without fear of losing your property,” explained Ms Maina.
She further revealed the government has established the National Titling Centre, the Rapid Titling Initiative, and Land Clinics and formed links with both land buying companies and County governments that aimed at bringing closer services to the common citizen.
Speaking at the event the area County Commissioner Ms Beverly Opwora urged chiefs and Assistant County Commissioners to put more effort into solving lands faced with succession challenges.
Ms Opwora said that it is the role of administrators to assist residents in coming up with solutions to unravel the tussle surrounding land succession where the initial matriarchs were deceased.
“Our administrators starting from our chiefs are in a position to assist our people to end the long problem of land succession residents of Bomet have experienced over time, we are assuring them that each and every one will get their title deeds,” explained Ms Opwora.
Kenya has seen several land reforms in the land sector such as the National Titling Program introduced in 2013 under the administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta, which has helped in processing and issuing title deeds to many citizens.
“Nine years later, more than six million titles have been issued, compared to a similar number that was issued more than 50 years after and before independence. We are assuring them that each and every one will get their title deeds,” explained Ms Opwora.
By Lamech Arisa
