Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney has announced plans to issue 90,000 title deeds to squatters living in the Coast region in December this year.
Addressing the media after a meeting with residents of Mikanjuni in Mtwapa over the weekend, Karoney said the government was keen to resolve land issues that have for long dogged the region.
“When President Uhuru Kenyatta visited this region during the 2017 campaigns, one of the promises he made was that he would resolve land issues and ensure squatters have been settled. As a Ministry, we are here to implement this promise," the CS said.
“We plan to issue 80,000 to 90,000 title deeds to residents of this region by December this year in fulfilment of the president’s pre-election promise to the residents of Coast region."
The event is expected to be presided over by the President himself.
According to Karoney, some of the beneficiaries of the settlement plan are 1,300 families in Mikanjuni who will be resettled on a 91-acre piece of land purchased by the government this year.
She cautioned the residents against selling their land once they receive title deeds, adding that the development being rolled out in the region will increase the value of land
“The president is rolling out extensive development projects in this region and because of that, there is a growing interest in land. Instead of selling your land after getting the title deeds, use it for self-development, even as you preserve it for your children and your children’s children,” she said.
The CS was accompanied by Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Gideon Mung’aro during the working tour of the region that saw her visit several parts of Kwale, Kilifi, and Mombasa Counties that are grappling with land issues.
Last month, the government announced plans to issue over 18,653 title deeds from next month.
Karoney said the government was keen to ensure that all genuine landowners in Nairobi have their title deeds after the decades-long wait.
“A lot of capital is locked up in the land in Nairobi and if it is not titled, the owners cannot enjoy its benefits. In this new phase, we will work with NMS to issue 18,653 title deeds to land owners in different settlements in Nairobi,” she said.
