Lands CS appeals to owners to collect 3,000 title deeds

 

Lands Cabinet Secretary, Farida Karoney (centre) gives title deed to Bombolulu resident, Kadzender Ngana (right) at Freetown, Mombasa on June 30. Looking on is Nyali MP Mohamed Ali (left) and Kaloleni MP, Paul Katana (right). [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Up to 3,000 title deeds are lying uncollected at Mombasa's lands registry office, Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney has announced.

Ms Farida Karoney said although the Government was determined to tackle the problem of squatters at the Coast, many residents were yet to collect the vital land ownership documents.

"We have 3,000 title deeds whose owners have not come forward to collect them. Please come forward and collect them,"she said.

She made the remarks at Freetown grounds, in Nyali Constituency, where she issued 338 title deeds to beneficiaries of Bombolulu and VOK settlement schemes on Saturday.

Nyali MP, Mohamed Ali thanked the Government for heeding to his call to issue the title deeds.

"We have waited for too long for these documents," said the MP.

He appealed to the CS to also help residents of Kongowea, Khadija Estate, Kwa Bulo, Kisumu Ndogo and Kadzandani get title deeds to protect them from being evicted by land grabbers.

Th CS said President Uhuru Kenyatta's government was committed to ensure that the issue of squatters in the Coast region was fully solved.

"We are committed to following Presidential directive on land matters,"Karoney said.

She, however, warned beneficiaries not to sell off land immediately they are issued with title deeds.

"There is danger here. Once you have received these documents do not sell off your valuable parcels of land. You have waited for over 50 years just to lay your hands on title deeds. It is unfair to sell it a day after issuance yet you have families," said the CS who was accompanied by Chief Administrative Secretary in her ministry, Gideon Mungaro.

Karoney at the same time told land speculators to keep off public land and desist from interfering in government programmes to settle its people.

"We want public assets to benefit public and not individuals. We will get tough on saboteurs who are keen to derail efforts to settle our people," she said.

Mungaro expressed optimism that the squatter problem at the region would finally be addressed.

"We have a mandate. It is to ensure that our people have access to land and that is exactly what we are doing with CS Farida at the ministry," he said.