Surveyors are calling for a change from general boundaries’ services to mathematically established boundaries to curb the underlying issue of land disputes.
Speaking in Mombasa, during the 9th Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) Africa Regional Conference, 2024, ISK President Eric Nyadimo highlighted that general boundaries are done traditionally and hence are not mapped properly, noting that through mathematical boundaries the move will see that land records are entailed under a single management system, thus creating a seamless space within the surveying sector.
He announced that the institution has completed the work of the 2021 taskforce formed by former Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Farida Karoney, in an effort to tackle the leading challenges within the Lands sector.
The institution has developed three documents including a Survey and marketing bill 2021, Land surveyors’ registration bill 2021, and a Survey and mapping policy 2021.
“These documents are still within the Ministry of Lands and have not been advanced beyond that yet; there is a need for the bills to be enacted and survey policy to be placed because through these documents we were able to investigate the entire spectrum of survey and mapping and analyse all the problems facing the sector,” said Nyadimo.
He added that the bills also address the issue of professionalism within the survey sector, as they include the requirement for registration and licensing upon joining the industry.
To combat the issue of quacks, he said they are working closely with the regulatory boards within the land sector.
“We are encouraging members of the public to report to us incidents where they have procured services from somebody who has failed to deliver on what is required of them so that we can be able to investigate,” stated Nyadimo.
The two-day conference themed “Adapt. Thrive. Sustain: The Future of Land and Built Environment in the Face of Change” serves as a platform for regional and international leaders in the land and built environment to unite, share insights, and work collaboratively toward a vision.
“From cutting-edge technological advancements to visionary policies in land management and urban development, we will explore diverse strategies to foster resilience and innovation,” said Nyadimo.
On his part, Mombasa County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Land, Housing, and Physical Planning Mohammed Hussein said they are putting up various measures to settle the perennial issue of land disputes within the region, citing the “Ardhi Fund” as one of the mitigations projected to pass at the County Assembly.
“We are working closely with the Ministry of Lands and the National Lands Commission to ensure that disputes are minimal. We are setting up laws to enable us to settle the squatters and ensure that investors don’t endure losses upon buying land,” he said.
By Nuru Soud and Sadik Hassan
