Homa Bay County Land Registrar Edward Bosire said lack of information had led to a backlog of 18,189 uncollected title deeds, saying the locals had no idea about the collection process.
Bosire said out of the 18,189 documents, 588 belong to women and 119 for public utility, while the rest belong to men.
He said that land ownership illiteracy and unresolved land issues still remain major challenges in the county, a situation that prompted the department to sensitise the public on matters of land.
He said many land-related cases in Ndhiwa courts, including boundary disputes and succession matters, could be avoided if couples opted for joint land ownership.
“If a couple jointly owns land, the surviving spouse can present a death certificate to obtain a title deed in case one partner passes away,” he suggested.
Another significant challenge, he noted, is absentee landlords who move to urban areas without appointing caretakers for their properties.
“When land is left unattended and unfenced, it creates opportunities for encroachment and illegal sales, leading to fraud and boundary disputes,” he explained.
Bosire advised landowners who live away from their property to assign caretakers and fence their land to prevent unauthorised occupation.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining boundary markers, noting that the land registrar has the authority to redefine them if they are altered.
To minimise costs and legal battles, he encouraged landowners to resolve minor boundary disputes through local administrators and leave major cases to the land registrar for arbitration.
Bosire urged residents to visit the land registry for free information on land matters and advised prospective buyers to verify land ownership through official searches and inspections before making purchases.
Echoing these concerns, County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Land, Peter Ogolla, warned of a rising trend of fraudulent acquisition of title deeds in the region by some advocates.
“There have been cases where advocates draft illegal documents to help individuals acquire title deeds fraudulently. These documents are sometimes used to secure bank loans, leading to disputes when the land is reclaimed due to loan defaults,” he revealed.
Ogolla condemned land-related violence and encouraged peaceful dispute resolution through elders or legal channels.
He urged residents to visit the land registry regularly to ensure their land ownership remains secure.
By Sitna Omar
