State moves to cut sub-division of arable land for housing

A picture showing land use maximization in the Kisii region. The arability of the land in Kisii has made every small parcel put to noble use in food production. [Denish Ochieng, Standard] The government seeks to utilise the National Spatial Plan to balance competition between agricultural and housing needs that have led to the subdivision of plots in Kenya's food basket regions. The constant subdivision of agricultural land into smaller plots for housing is one of the major challenges that President William Ruto faces as he seeks to attain the promised 200,000 affordable housing units annually. How to manage this terrain that has been motivated by poor returns in farming and the allure of real estate returns was one of the questions the Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru was faced with during his vetting. CS Njeru was tasked to explain how he will tackle the issue. This question was separately asked three times by a section of parliamentarians sitting in the National Assembly's vetting committee chaired by speaker Moses Wetangula. The question was posed by Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, Kwanza MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi, and Kikuyu MP who is also National Assembly Majority Leader in the National Assembly Kimani Ichungwa. Recently, President Ruto, while launching some housing units in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, made his position known on the issue, saying he will ensure no land meant for agriculture is used for housing. "The whole project of ensuring we do not engage land meant for food production for human settlement is the way forward in our economy," said President Ruto. "Therefore, the whole programme of housing is because we want to make sure we use the resources we have well and develop (those resources) in a manner that benefits all citizens." Mr Ichungwa, MP Kikuyu, said owners of agricultural land were sub-dividing their plots into even smaller pieces of 66 by 33 feet for housing purposes putting Kenya's food security at risk. The same challenge was shared by Kwanza MP Mr Wanyonyi argued that if this trend is left unchecked, in 20 years, there will be no land for cultivation. "If you come to Kitale, a very arable place, it is full of gated communities. You cannot get large tracks of land in Kitale. And it is the same in so many places," said Saboti MP Mr Amisi. Mr Njeru said he will seek to utilise the physical and national spatial plan to address the issue. "I will work hand in hand with county governments to make sure their departments also conform to the plan," he said. "That way, we will be able to have areas set for farming and others set for settlement." Protecting arable land is one of the priorities specified in the National Spatial plan released in 2015 whose tenure runs to 2045. The plan stipulates that agricultural land will be safeguarded from the threat of subdivision. "Grain basket areas shall be prioritised and protected to ensure food security," reads one of the policy statements in the plan. Gated communities Kitale, in Trans Nzoia County, is one of the country's grain baskets which was referenced by Saboti MP Amisi as being littered with gated communities. The plan does anticipate population growth both in the urban and rural areas and further specifies the policy measures that will be taken within the period. "The expected increase in population in urban areas shall be anticipated and accommodated particularly for the main growth areas," the plan reads in part. "Rural growth shall be rationalised and supported to act as central places and settlements clustered to free the rich agricultural land." The plan further states that human settlements shall be developed in line with environmental and natural resource conservation to improve living conditions. The plan covers the entire country and aims at achieving an integrated, organised, sustainable and balanced development of the country. "Land, as we all know, is inelastic yet it has many competing (land) uses," the plan details. "Land in Kenya has not been optimally utilised and its use has in some instances resulted in conflicts." The plan provides several physical planning policies at both county and national levels. "These policies include protection of rich agricultural land, conservation of identified environmentally sensitive area, urban containment, and promotion of industrial development, among others," says the plan.

State moves to cut sub-division of arable land for housing

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