The number of land owners who have title deeds for their property in Isiolo County has risen from meager 300 to over 6,000 following the government’s initiative to fast-track processing of the document.
The government this week issued 5,736 title deeds to residents of Oldonyiro and Ngaremara Wards. The issuance of the individual land ownership documents was presided over by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani at Ngaremara Catholic Church.
It was a historic day for the residents who said they would live to remember President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration for the ambitious and beneficial initiative for the county and the nation at large.
“I am surprised that Isiolo County initially had only 300 title deeds and I can assure you that the government would do more to see that the majority of the residents get the legitimate land ownership documents through the programme,” said Yattani.
The CS urged the title deeds beneficiaries to use them as security to obtain loans so that they could empower themselves economically and develop their areas.
A resident of Ngaremara Mr. Julius Likichela who was one of the beneficiaries said that the move will now put to an end bad politics and conspiracies about land ownership which led to many court cases that have been the order of the day in the area.
Ms. Mary Stella Narube, another happy resident, said that she was thankful to the government and would now consider developing her land without fear of displacement.
Yattani said that the government had lined up many development projects for northern Kenya like the LAPSSET, construction of Isiolo-Garissa road and the 740 KM, Isiolo, Wajir- Mandera highway all that are underway among other major schemes.
He revealed that the government has set aside Sh. 60 million for construction of Ngaremara and Oldonyiro police stations and staff quarters and each will receive Sh. 30 million in the next few weeks.
At the same time, Yattani asked the residents to avoid wanton destruction of trees to burn charcoal saying the country was working hard to increase the national forest cover to the targeted 10 per cent of the land in order to combat the threatening desertification occasioned by the climate change.
Isiolo County Commissioner Mr. Geoffrey Omoding revealed that the government would establish GSU camps in Attan and Mlango areas with a view to fight the recurrent incidences of banditry and cattle theft in the region which had left many lives lost and some residents maimed in attacks.
On June 22, this year President Kenyatta launched the mass issuance of One million out of the six million ready title deeds across the country, directing the Cabinet Secretaries for Lands and Interior to plan how other CSs would assist in expeditious distribution of the land documents and other that are complete in county registries.
By David Nduro
