Women in Loita ward, Narok South Sub County are a happy lot after the Community Land Adjudication Committee agreed to give them equal share of land with men, as the sub-division of land begins in the area.
The Loita ward is divided into five land sub-sections namely Morijo, Entasekera, Ilkerin, Olmesuti, and Olorte sections, and is the only area in Narok County where the residents have been living in communal land.
This is the first time women in the Maa community are benefiting from land in equal measures with their male counterparts, a decision that could reduce the violence against women cases in the county.
Speaking during the launch of the Morijo Sub section land adjudication exercise, Deputy Director in the Directorate of Land adjudication and Settlement Mr. Michael Irungu said each beneficiary will get an average of 9.6 to 11 acres of land.
“Those living in the upper Morijo area will get an average of 9.6 acres where the population is higher while those living in the lower part- Olng’arua will get an average of 11 acres as the population is lower,” he said.
Irungu commended the community for allowing women to be given land in equal measures saying each family will get an average of five parcels.
“Each family will get an average of five parcels of land as the man, his wife, and sons will all get land in equal shares,” he said, adding that those in polygamous settings will get larger portions as each wife will get an equal share of land.
Irungu said about 30 surveyors will be camping on the land for 25 days to put beacons on the parcels before the individual title deeds are processed.
The process, he said, is expected to be completed in five months when the residents will get their title deeds.
The deputy director said the community had agreed to set aside a community forest which will be managed under the Community Land Act while the individual land will be under the Land Adjudication Act.
Narok South Deputy County Commissioner Felix Kisalu said the land register has more women than men because many families are polygamous, commending the community for breaking the gender partiality.
“We expect Gender Based Violence (GBV) to reduce after the land allocation because women will be empowered. I commend the community for including women in the land register,” he said.
The DCC assured the residents that the subdivision of land will be fair saying even the vulnerable, the orphans, and persons living with disability will benefit in equal measure.
Kisalu called on the community to guard the Loita forest against any destruction, saying the government had deployed 80 scouts to guard the forest.
The women interviewed expressed their gratitude to the committee leaders for accepting the decision to include them in the register.
Mrs. Sarah Sayo said she will use her piece of land to grow maize and beans and keep dairy cows so that she can improve her living standards.
By Ann Salaton
