The government has issued a total of 43, 110 title deeds to Machakos County residents in the ongoing countrywide exercise that kicked off last week.
This follows President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive to Cabinet Secretaries and the Ministry of Lands to distribute one million title deeds to land owners across the country.
Speaking at Kathiani boys in Machakos Thursday, while issuing title deeds, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i said that the current government has issued over 6 million title deeds since it took office.
“President Kenyatta is committed in ensuring that he fulfils his promise of issuing majority of the Kenyans with the vital document before he retires after the August 9 polls. From 1963 to 2013, only 5.6 million land title deeds were issued by the former governments,” said Dr. Matiang’i.
The CS called on the Ministry of Lands and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) officials to ensure that all of the issued title deeds are distributed across the county by the end of this month.
“The exercise has started today, by August 9, there should be no pending title deed in Machakos, all must be issued by the polls day. I urge all administrators including chiefs to stop all other duties and ensure the documents are issued to the rightful owners,” he said.
The CS who later met NGAO officials further warned them against charging residents for the documents since they were issued free of charge.
“I want to call on leaders to be wary of the fact that the title deeds are issued free of charge. Don’t ask for any money,” he reiterated.
The CS who had earlier on issued tile deeds to Makueni residents at Kikima secondary school in Mbooni West sub county, further appealed to the beneficiaries to safely keep the documents and guard against the temptation to sell their parcels of land.
“Some men get title deeds, sell their land and disappear from their families, leaving their wives and children suffering. Title deeds belong to the family including wives and children. Don’t sell land, you can secure bank loans using the documents and invest as a family,” he said.
Dr. Matiang’i further called on politicians to seek for votes peacefully without inciting their supporters to violence, but rather preach peace, adding that the government is ready to continue protecting Kenyans and their property before, during and after the August polls.
“No single citizen will be threatened. Kenyans have the constitutional right to vote for leaders they want. Our role is securing, uniting Kenyans and putting them together. Kenyans should vote peacefully too,” said Matiang’i.
The CS was accompanied by Internal Security Secretary Wilson Njega, Eastern Regional Commissioner Evans Achoki, Machakos County Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council CEO Daniel M. Yumbya, among other senior government officials.
By Rachael Kilonzo
