Siaya, Kisumu counties join Ngilu in repossessing public land

Kisumu, Kenya: Kisumu and Siaya counties have vowed to work with the Ministry of Lands in repossessing grabbed public land within their territories.

The counties are already each setting up a task force to audit all land transfers within their boundaries to determine which parcels were irregularly or illegally allocated.

The counties have expressed optimism that the move by Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu declaring war on land grabbing in the country will salvage public land that has been grabbed within the counties.

Ms Ngilu recently declared that the Government was committed to repossessing all public land that has been grabbed since independence after evidence of massive land grabbing emerged in Lamu County.

Kisumu County Assembly's Committee of Infrastructure and Planning chairman Charles Aguko said the committee was working on a report that would give direction on specific parcels to be probed.

Speaking to The Standard, Aguko said the committee was working to have the land system restructured to bar further illegal land allocations and help regain parcels grabbed by influential people.

He said once this was done, a report would be shared by relevant authorities including the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission to facilitate repossession.

"As a committee, we have invited the Executive Member in charge of Lands to deliberate over issues surrounding land in the county and we have two weeks to finish working on the report," Aguko said.

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma recently stopped all land transfers within the county pending a probe on illegal transfers, which he said had led to the grabbing or illegal allocation of over 3,000 acres in Kisumu town.

The governor has, however, blamed the defunct councils for loss of public land, which he said occurred during the tenure of corrupt officials who, instead of serving the people, chose to look out for their own selfish interests.

Some of the most affected areas include Got Abuoro, Songo, Oduwo, Tamu, Fort Tenan, Koru and Muhoroni settlement schemes in Muhoroni Sub-County.

Kisumu Ford Kenya vice chairman Felix Minda said more than three-quarters of the 52 acres meant for expansion of Muhoroni town had been grabbed, hindering development.

Minda said Special Purpose Plots (SPP) in each of the nine settlement schemes, which were meant for setting up social facilities for the settlers, had also been grabbed, with private developers sub-dividing them and others using them for sugarcane farming.

"All public land that people used to graze animals has been fenced. The place where children played and others meant for schools and hospitals are no longer there," Minda said.

Siaya County is also in the process of setting up a six-member task force to investigate all matters pertaining to public land.

Executive Member for Planning Ezekiel Abang' told The Standard that most public land is currently under private ownership and that only a probe would reveal which parcels had been legally transferred.

"The task force will come up with a complete report that we will share with relevant authorities including the National Land Commission," Abang' said.