Trans-Nzoia County Commissioner Sam Ojwang has told members of the public to be wary of unscrupulous land dealers who con them in the name of securing pieces of land at the Chepchoina settlement scheme.
Speaking at Nauyapong in Chepchoina ward, Endebess Constituency, Ojwang said the land Committee in collaboration with the land’s settlement officers and the county administration will oversee phase 3 of the settlement process.
“The land settlement committee has included the names of all the members of the communities living in the area to ensure that there is equality in the sharing of the land,” noted Ojwang.
He warned leaders against politicising the settlement process, saying the committee will use laid out procedures to ensure only genuine people benefit from the land settlement.
The administrator stated that the process aims at settling poor landless people who have never benefited from government land allocations in previous subdivisions. He said unlike the previous allocations, there will be no submissions of names of beneficiaries, instead, any needy person will be required to apply for the land through the newly formed committee.
Ojwang cautioned committee members against using their positions to extort money from the public, adding so far, some people had reportedly started collecting money from unknowing members of the public in pretense that they will help them get the land, urging that those found culpable will face the full force of the law.
The Lands Settlement and Adjudication Officer Mrs. Crescencia Atieno said the Chepchoina phase 3 SFT which is about 3000 acres has 900 plots including public utilities, including hospitals, schools, churches and markets. Mrs Atieno said each beneficiary will get two and a half acres each.
“I call on members of the public to avoid rumours going round that beneficiaries will be getting 5 acres,” she said while assuring residents of fairness and transparency in the land allocations.
She also said those who want to apply for the land must be Kenyan citizens with valid national identification cards. Those who apply must also be vulnerable and landless and have never benefited from the previous allocations of phase 1 and 2.
Meanwhile Mrs Atieno announced that the committee members will start receiving settlement applications as from the 17th of May 2022 at the Milimani chiefs office and the registration will run for two weeks, thus ending on 31 May.
By Kosuri Valarie
