Residents of Morijo and Olng’arua locations in Narok South Sub County are a happy lot following the completion of the demarcation exercise of their land after a long wait.
Speaking during the launch of the adjudication register, Narok South Land Adjudication Officer Josphine Njoroge said the residents had a period of 60 days to inspect the land register.
In case of a complaint, the residents were advised to raise the objection with the adjudication office before the period expires at a fee of Sh. 3000 per objection.
“Following the successful completion of demarcating the land, we hereby call upon the residents to inspect the register at the adjudication office located at Morijo Trading Centre at any working day between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.,” she said.
Any person who launches a complaint will be expected to state clear reasons for the objection in a written form and forward it to the sub-county land adjudication office for processing, added Njoroge.
About 11, 000 people from Morijo and 9, 000 from Olng’arua are benefiting from the parcels of land, where each person is getting 9.6 acres of land in Morijo and 11 acres in Olng’arua.
The adjudication section is the first in Narok County to allocate land for both women and men at an equal share.
Narok South Sub County Deputy Commissioner Felix Kisalu asked the residents not to sell their land to outsiders as they could easily become landless.
“If you need to sell the land, let it be on a need basis. Please use this piece of land to develop yourself and eradicate poverty,” he said.
He called on the residents to put aside all their differences and embrace oneness regardless of the clans they originate from, saying clannism was the major threat to the Maa community.
“Don’t be quick to go to court over issues that can be resolved by the elders on the ground. I ask this community to learn to resolve their differences in an amicable way so that we can benefit from the land,” he said.
Kisalu asked the land committee to consider the vulnerable, like persons living with disabilities and widows, and give them parcels of land in favourable places.
“You are almost getting title deeds for your land. I call upon women to humble themselves before their husbands despite them having a title deed, because if it were not for that man, you could not get the parcel of land,” reiterated the DCC.
At the same time, he called on the community to respect the forest boundaries by minimising human activities on forest land.
Deputy Director in the Directorate of Land Adjudication and Settlement, Michael Kagwe, commended the residents for cooperating with the surveyors on the ground and called for continued support until they were issued title deeds.
He said the community had agreed to set aside a community forest, which will be managed under the Community Land Act, while individual land will be under the Land Adjudication Act.
By Ann Salaton
