• A team has been set up to specifically to handle the Coast region
• Land problems are used by politicians to gain popularity and win votes
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
The government will pay special attention to the Coast region over land matters, Lands CS Farida Karoney has said.
She said the ministry has been given increased funds in the 2019-20 budget for titling public parcels across the region to stop landgrab by private developers.
A team has been set up to specifically to handle the Coast region, which is the bedrock of land problems. Nyali MP Mohamed Ali and his Kaloleni counterpart Paul Katana said the land problem has been used by politicians from within and outside the region to gain popularity and win votes only to abandon residents after they are elected.
That will never happen again, they said. Speaking on Saturday at Frere Town ground where 338 title deeds were issued, CS Karoney said the government is determined to solve the squatter problem at the Coast once and for all.
“We started a programme to issue title deeds and in 2019-20, the Coast region has been given priority. Our aim is to try and solve the squatter problem,” she said.
Mombasa will be among the biggest and first beneficiaries of the programme. Karoney said MP Ali was among the first people to raise the alarm over landgrabbing in his constituency and most of the complaints will be tackled.
Ali said the Kadzandani, Kidogo Basi, Kwa Bulo and Kongowea schemes have problems that must be fixed. Karoney responded that they have all been included in the programme. She directed the county commissioners at the Coast to document all public land in their areas so they can be registered and for titling to start immediately.
“For this Coast programme, let’s pay special attention to public lands — public schools, public hospitals and public institutions, including police stations,” Karoney said.
“These public assets are being grabbed by unscrupulous people because they do not have title deeds.”
All the six counties at the Coast have major land problems. It will be difficult to grab any piece of land with a title deed, the CS said.
She warned that President Uhuru Kenyatta is keenly following up on the matter and is determined to ensure the region is rid of land problems. The CS said land grabbers have become so daring that they are now targetting police stations.
“I don’t know how some people are. How can you go and steal from a police station? You must be very daring,” she said. “For those positioning themselves to take advantage of public assets, be warned.”
She said public assets should benefit the public, not individuals. Karoney faulted Mombasa residents for not picking their titles deeds after they have been processed. She said as many as 3,000 titles have yet to be collected at the Mombasa lands registry and that encourages landgrabbing.
“I don’t know if you Coast people do not understand what a title deed is or what the problem is. Title deed is money. I don’t understand why you should ask for the title deed for 50 years, only to let them stay at the Ministry of Lands.”
She said they will ensure all titles are collected by owners. “When we come back here, it will be to issue title deeds. We don’t want to make any more promises.”
Lands CAS Gideon Mung’aro said the ministry has one agenda — to give title deeds.“We’ve started resolving most of the issues that have been raised. Be patient,” he told residents.
Kwa Bulo residents in Nyali constituency will soon get their titles deeds. Mung’aro said tycoons have started putting up containers and buildings after getting wind that the land will be subdivided.
“Those containers must go. Public land will remain public land. Even if you build a 10-storey building on public land, it will have to come down and the land be reverted to the public,” he said.
“We come with solutions to land problems.”
Katana said he had been a squatter for 10 years in Frere Town before he moved to Kaloleni.
He said having titles will do a lot to solve the squatter problem.
“Even if it will not completely eradicate the problem, it will do great work in drastically reducing it,” he said.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Karoney said the ministry will send surveyors to the Kadzandani scheme in August to start the titling process and title deeds will be issued by October.
But Katana and Ali called for caution, saying surveyors collude with tycoons and lawyers to grab land.
“Care must be taken there,” Katana said.
Ali said 99 per cent of eviction orders in Nyali are fake.
“There is no way one person can own the whole of Frere Town,” he said.
He said the war during the campaigns in Mombasa was all about land and not political parties.
“That is why you allowed the son of a poor man to represent you so that he can bring title deeds to Nyali. Today we have brought them,” Ali told residents.
He said they will go after landgrabbers to ensure the affordable housing pillar on the Big Four Agenda is implemented well because it requires land to succeed.
(Edited by F'Orieny)