At least 1500 people drawn from informal settlements in Daraja Mbili, Marani and Keumbu areas in Kisii County are set to receive lease certificates.
The informal settlers will be issued with a lease of 99 years as part of the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (KISIP) Phase 2, funded by the World Bank.
According to the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Development, Grace Nyarango, the project will not only assist the residents who have a secure tenure but also contribute to a reduction of land disputes in the county.
“Through the project, beneficiaries who have occupied the parcels of land from the early 1960s will have exclusive ownership of their land, which they will develop without interference from any quarter,” said Nyarango.
The CECM noted the process started late last year after Kisii Governor Simba Arati signed participation documents with the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Housing.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement exercise in Marani, the County Director for Housing and Evaluation Services, Joel Ombati, pointed out that the county had conducted a socio-economic survey of the three settlements and developed draft base maps and draft plans.
“The informal settlers have gone through the draft plan and proposed minor amendments that will be incorporated in the final plan. They have been operating using rent cards, and we are happy with the progress,” he said.
Ombati, who is the coordinator for the county for the three settlements that were approved for tenure regularization, noted the project will require approval from the technical staff, the cabinet, and the County Assembly for the plan to be operationalized and used to manage the urban settlements.
According to the Coordinator, tenure regularization process includes planning, surveying, and issuance of lease certificates for those who have been temporarily occupying land belonging to the county government.
He noted that there will be massive infrastructural improvements, including drainage, street lighting, roads, sewerage, and other amenities that remain crucial in such settlements.
On his part, the Principal Project Consultant and team lead from LER Consultant Limited, Professor Calleb Mireri, said the overall objective of the project is to improve access to basic services and tenure security of residents in participating urban informal settlements and strengthen institutional capacity for slum upgrading in Kenya.
“The main task is to ensure that those living in the public informal settlements have a right of land ownership,” he stated.
Prof. Mireri decried the loss of parts or an entire piece of land by the residents, saying the project will be a relief to many of the affected families.
The Consultant affirmed that once the informal settlers become landowners, they will be able to make long-term investments, improve their wellbeing, and deal with issues of land succession and land grabbing.
Consequently, he said, the county government will work towards improving infrastructure development and service delivery.
By Mercy Osongo
