Lamu County to churn 20,000 title deeds in five years

Squatters from Manda Island in Lamu County with their placards addresses the Media at Mkunguni Square in Lamu Island, Lamu County on Saturday,016th April,2016.  [Photo: Maarufu Mohammed/Standard]

Lamu County Government has announced a plan to issue 20,000 title deeds to squatters in the next four years.

Governor Fahim Twaha said yesterday at least 5,000 title deeds would be issued every year.

He said the resettlement programme targeted all the squatters who have  been denied land ownership rights since the 1960s when the area was shaken by a secessionist insurgency.

“We have started the land survey process. We want to give 5,000 families title deeds before the end of this year,” Mr Twaha said in Mbwanjumwali while launching the survey.

The governor said landlessness had increased and thrived in Lamu due to lack of title deeds, and residents were unable to engage in economic activities.

“Many squatters have been asking to be allocated land and given title deeds since they ran away from the Shifta war. In Kiunga there are very many squatters who need title deeds,” said Twaha.

The villages to be included in the survey ahead of the resettlement programme are Mwambore on the Kiunga border of Lamu and Somalia, Mvundeni, Shanga-Rubu, Shanga-Ishakani, Mkokoni and most parts of Lamu East sub-county, where many Somalis fleeing the Shifta war settled.

Twaha said for years, there had been land-related conflicts that resulted in death.

He said he had initiated talks with ranch owners to sell to the county land to resettle the remaining squatters.

Bank loans

“Let no one sell his or her land once the title deed is given. The title deed will be of benefit to you because it can be used as collateral for bank loans to help you improve your livelihoods,” he told the squatters.

Lack of title deeds among squatters and double ownership cases have been a major source of conflict in Witemere.

Perpetua Mwendo is one of the squatters set to benefit once the survey is complete.

“We have very many squatters in line for eviction by land grabbers who have bought their way into the Ministry of Lands. We hope the governor will fulfill the promise of surveying our land so we can get ownership documents,” she said.

Lamu East MP Athman Shariff said the county government had given hope to those who were displaced by the Shifta war.

He said land ownership would open up more ways for the locals to earn a living, adding that over-reliance on relief food would also go down.

“I am happy the county government has initiated the plan to survey land in Mwambore, Shanga-Rubu, Shanga-Ishakani and Mvundeni. People no longer live in those areas because of insecurity,” said Mr Shariff.