The County Government of Kitui has rolled out a series of Land Clinics across the County in an effort to solve land disputes.
The Program is spearheaded by the County Department of Lands and Physical Planning and the first exercise was held at Kabati in Kitui West Sub-county.
According to the Department, there has been increasing cases of land disputes in the County, a factor that has dragged behind development.
Addressing the press during the inauguration of the exercise at Kitui West, County Executive Committee [CECM] Member for Lands and Physical Planning, Samson Masila, said the Clinics will help solve the many land complaints from the residents across the vast county.
Masila added that the move by the County Government is to ensure residents co-exist in peace and can use their land as a factor for development in the county.
‘‘As a Department, we are coming to the people to solve their land issues and ensure they do not have to travel to different offices and suffer cost implications,’’ Masila said.
Masila noted that the Clinics will further guarantee minimal traffic of residents, visiting the County Headquarters for land complaints.
The County Government which is the trustee of the residents, will intervene on cases involving large parcels of lands, where leases expired and the beneficiaries failed to hand over the land back to the owners.
The Department of land will carry out Land Clinics across the eight (8) Kitui Sub-counties.
Reacting to the Program, area residents led by Rose Mwangangi, applauded the County Government for the move.
Mwangangi added that the approach will help address land injustices committed by well-off individuals in the county.
‘‘We are happy that we finally have a solution over this issue. Some people have been taking advantage of the process, thus taking people’s land,’’ Mwangangi said.
Some of the issue the residents hoped to be resolved include double allocation of land titles and grabbing of public land.
By Yobesh Onwong’a and Diana Syong’ombe
