Newly appointed Baringo Chief Officer of Lands and Physical Planning Ms. Nancy Chesire has promised to speed up land adjudication exercise so that over 80 percent of land owners in the vast County who do not possess title deeds can acquire the vital document.
Chesire, one of the 19 newly appointed COs by Baringo governor Benjamin Cheboi, noted with concern that a high number of people in the county own land but do not have allotment letters or title deeds, a document she stated was a legal proof of ownership.
The CO said the absence of the documents is a big challenge that they will work on together with newly appointed counterparts stating that with the governor’s blessing they will ensure that residents have them in their possession.
“It is my objective to ensure that in five years’ time a good percentage of people in Baringo will have title deeds and allotment letters that will aid in development and assist landowners secure bank loans,” she affirmed.
The Lands chief officer who spoke at Governor’s office in Kabarnet town after picking her appointment letter said that the department will also focus on the upgrading of small towns in the county such as Mogotio, Chemalingot, Eldama Ravine, Marigat and Kabartonjo to higher status to enhance service delivery.
“Kabarnet town has been upgraded to a municipality. We need to upgrade the other towns to municipalities but the only challenge is that many people have encroached on public land but we will work on that,” she said.
Chesire who was a woman representative aspirant in Baringo during last year’s general election said she will use her experience in politics to serve the residents well.
She noted that during the electioneering period, she travelled to different parts of Baringo which made her to understand needs of different people, their ways of lives, infrastructure and she was confident that the chance to serve as a chief officer gives her a perfect opportunity for discussing their challenges and working with them.
The newly appointed officer expressed gratitude to the Governor for giving her and her colleagues the opportunity to serve in his administration and pledged to discharge her duties with due diligence and commitment.
Amongst those who received their appointment letters were Michael Ngetich (Economic Planning), Dr Winne Bore (Medical Services), Evans Kangugo (Public Health), Nancy Korir (Tourism and Wildlife development), Collins Nakedi (Industrialization), Nancy Cathy (Housing), Geoffrey Kosgei (Roads), Arch Timothy Rotich (Public works), Milkah Chelagat (Water) and Silas Kwonyike (Natural Resources).
Cheboi congratulated all the appointees and reminded them to heed their oath of office and work tirelessly to improve the livelihoods of residents.
Governor Cheboi exuded confidence in the new Chief Officers whom he said are a mixture of young and experienced individuals who will lead the various departments in the county.
Cheboi at the same time noted that his office has planned induction and training of the new COs as a way of allowing them to familiarize themselves with their respective roles and mandates of their departments.
By Gloria Cheboi and Joshua Kibet
