Waitiki land beneficiaries face uncertain future, say experts

One by one, they stepped forward with joy as they received the land ownership documents they had waited for over a decade. But this joy may be short-lived. The over 5,000 Waitiki land beneficiaries awarded new certificates of lease last month in an elaborate ceremony presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta are coming to terms with the conditions in the ownership documents.

Odenda Lumumba: “They must abide by lease conditions.” (PHOTO: COURTESY)

The first shocker came when they learnt the land the government was giving was not free, after all: Holders are required to pay the government Sh182,000 each within 12 years. President Kenyatta directed the beneficiaries of the certificates to pay at least Sh1,000 monthly for 12 years before eventually ‘fully’ owning the plots.