Lands ministry plans to issue 4.2 million title deeds countrywide

The national government plans to issue 4.2 million title deeds before the 2017 General Elections, the Lands Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi revealed on Wednesday.

The Lands minister was speaking in Kitui County where he issued 24,000 title deeds to the residents of Mwingi North, Mwingi Central and Mwingi West constituencies.

Prof Kaimenyi said the government had already processed 2.4 million deeds to fulfil Jubilee’s promise during the last General Elections to issue 3 million title deeds.

“By next year the Jubilee government will produce an additional 1.2 million titles. We are in the process of fulfilling what President Uhuru Kenyatta promised Kenyans and now 17 teams are on the ground to ensure we produce more title deeds,” said Prof Kaimenyi.

The Lands CS was accompanied on his tour of Kitui County by his Principal Secretary Mariam El Maawy and other top ministry officials.

Mwingi North MP John Munuve and his Mwingi West counterpart Bernard Kitungi welcomed the Lands team to their constituencies.

However, Mwingi Central MP Joe Mutambo did not attend the title deed issuing ceremony at his constituency that was held at the Musila Garden in Mwingi.

Nation could not immediately establish why the legislator skipped the function yet he was part of the delegation to State House, Nairobi, last week where Prof Kaimenyi was ordered by President Kenyatta to set dates for issuing the title deeds in Ukambani. 

Prof Kaimenyi said the Jubilee government was determined to serve all Kenyans regardless of their political leaning or tribe.

He added that the issuance of the title deeds was aimed at uplifting lives of Kenyans.

The CS distributed the documents to locals to residents of Ngomeni, Kamuwongo, Kyuso and Tyaa- Kamuthale at a ceremony held at Kyuso town.

He downplayed claims that the Jubilee administration was issuing fake title deeds saying government had digitized the process of producing the vital document.

"We are giving genuine title deeds which cannot be forged," said Mr Kaimenyi

Mwingi North MP said local residents were receiving the title deeds for the first time.

The lawmaker urged the government to fast track surveying of Ngomeni, Masyungwa and Kaningo which are near Kitui-Tana border in a bid to curb persistent incursions by camel herders from North Eastern.

Mwingi West MP called on the government to hasten demarcation in Nzalae to end a boundary dispute two decades in the making.

Kitui County Lands Executive Kitonga Nkunda said his ministry will set aside nough funds for land adjudication in the next financial year.