Governor: Land rows jolt titling process

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui hands over title deed to a resident of Gilgil during the ongoing titling programme in the county. The county says that it will issue 100,000 titles to area residents by June this year so as to resolve the hundreds of land disputes in the region. [Photo: Standard]

The high number of land disputes pending in Nakuru courts is frustrating a programme meant to issue title deeds to at least 100,000 land owners by June.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said more than 50 per cent of cases in courts across the county revolved around land.

Mr Kinyanjui said the ongoing tilting process that is being undertaken by the national government in conjunction with his administration was being delayed by the disputes.

To address the problem, Kinyanjui said the county had set aside funds to train officers from the county and national government on Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.

He, at the same time, said the national government had seconded lands officers to the county to hasten the process.

He said President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to issue the title deeds next month.

Large team

“The officers who include surveyors, planners and registration personnel will work with those from the county to ensure no one is left behind in the ongoing process,” he said.

Kinyanjui made the remarks when he issued 6,695 to residents of five wards in Gilgil sub-county on Saturday.

He said the titles were the second batch of 100,000 title deeds to be issued across the county.

Gilgil MP Martha Wangari decried the rising cases of conflicts involving land in the rural sub-county adding that many residents had been waiting for the documents for too long.

The County Lands Chief Officer Judy Leah Waihenya said, so far, 35,000 title deeds had been processed and would be issued to residents this month.

“The same process is ongoing in all the 11 sub-counties and we are certain that we will hit our target of 100,000 title deeds by next month,” she said.