Residents of Kisii County have been urged to follow lawful procedures when doing land transactions to avert long term court battles that arise as a result of shoddy dealings.
Speaking during land clinics at Keumbu and Ogembo sub counties, the County Executive Committee (CEC) member in charge of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Grace Nyarango noted that courts in the area are flocked with land cases that could be avoided if purchasers and venders adhered to the laid down procedures before making final transactions.
The clinics, organized by the Count Government in collaboration with Kenya Institute of Planners (KIP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the Digital Land Governance programme, the ministry of Land, State Department of Physical Planning and the Council of Governors (COG) were aimed at engaging with citizens on land use, planning and land governance.
They also sensitized residents on physical land use planning process, development control processes, land transfer and succession matters, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism and procedures required during acquisition of title deeds.
During the clinics, the County Land Registrar Charles Ayienda raised concern on how some individuals have encroached on public lands and the purported owners have been awarded land leases.
“Regrettably we have private ownerships in public utilities and in the past, majority of the leases did not go through the normal legal process,” regretted the County Lands Registrar.
On her part, Nyarango urged those purchasing land to involve surveyors, planners and the community during the initial process failure to which they risk buying ‘hot air.’
She announced that the land clinics will be cascaded to other sub counties and called on residents to show up when such opportunities arise as they get informed and educated on land matters that is key in their day to day lives.
The CEC discouraged land sub divisions saying there is need to undertake extensive sensitization and awareness on its negative effects.
The President of Kenya Institute of Planners, Fawcett Komollo, called on developers to consult relevant offices when coming up with a development project, cautioned them to make payments via authorized accounts and report suspicious unscrupulous deals.
He noted that the county is recording uncontrolled land fragmentation due to rapid population growth in rural areas eating into agricultural land, inheritance, weak implementation of land use plan and lack of interlinkages and coordination between regulatory agencies including land control board and land registrar.
