Do Not Sell Land, Kenyatta Warns Title Deeds Beneficiaries.President Kenyatta cautioned locals against selling their land whose titles they have now finally acquired saying that they should instead use them for farming and business opportunities. And as Abdi Osman reports from Mombasa, political leaders from the region endorsed the president’s drive to issue title deeds to coast residents after assurances that the beneficiaries were genuine residents of the area.
The jubilee government on Friday made a historical moment to the coastal people when it handed over to the area squatters 60, 000 title deeds. President Uhuru Kenyatta said the title deeds which have remained in the government lands registry since 1964 have been given to the concerned squatters free of charge. Mr Kenyatta who was accompanied by his deputy president William Ruto and the cabinet secretary in charge of the lands docket Mrs Charity Ngilu officially issued the title deeds at Karisa Maitha grounds at the headquarters of Kilifi County.
Among the 60,000 title deeds to be issued to the squatters in coast region, Kilifi County had the highest number of 19,000 The president said the thorny issue facing coastal people and other parts of the country was that of landless among the people and said his government is committed to prepare and issue about 3 million title deeds to Kenyan across the country in five years’ time. “Squatter problem, I admit has been serious in coast region since this country attained its independence, but my government has taken the matter seriously and we have started to adjudicate lands and prepare titles deeds for the beneficiaries,” said Mr Kenyatta.
Before the president made his speech, the kilifi county governor Mr Amason Kingi had said that it was sad that the coastal people had not attained the independence other Kenyans got since 1963 as area people had not been empowered to own their lands by being issued with title deeds. “The past governments had not been committed in addressing the squatter problem by issuing the people with title deeds and when the jubilee government announced that it was going to issue title deeds to the people we thought it was politics,” said Mr Kingi.
President Kenyatta said during his campaigns with his deputy, they promised coastal people that they will issue them with title deeds for the lands they own and said the exercise had started. He said his government was committed to ensuring that most of the Kenyans get title deeds in two years’ time but lamented that shortage of surveyors will delay the process.
‘Though my jubilee government is fully committed in ensuring that landless people get their title deeds in two years’ time, I fear that will not be possible as we lack enough surveyors to do the work but still we will try our level best to issue the documents’ said Mr Uhuru.
The head of state directed the lands cabinet secretary Mrs Ngilu to push land officers and ensure the adjudication works in government settlement schemes are finished in good time and people get title deeds.-standardmedia.co.ke
