Land agency stand draws crowds at Mombasa showground
President Uhuru Kenyatta, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (on his right) and Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala at the Mombasa International Show on August 27, 2015. PHOTO | PSCU
What you need to know:
- Commission to set up land clinic centres in counties for registering complaints.
- Public asks burning questions on land disputes, succession rows and double titles.
The National Land Commission stand at the Mombasa show is attracting large crowds.
Officials said they are receiving many questions from showgoers on land ownership and disputes.
The inquiries include delayed title deeds, succession disputes, fraud, double allocations, squatter problems and compensation, according to Ms Jeniffer Wambua, the commission’s deputy director of communication.
This is the first time that the commission has a stand at the show held at Mkomani grounds in Nyali.
Ms Wambua said the commission would set up land information centres in all 47 counties to educate the public and for collecting feedback.
She said the information desks, to be known as land clinic centres would be set up before year’s end.
“The clinics would be established through the county land management boards,” she said.
RESPOND TO QUESTIONS
Ms Wambua said most people do not know the process involved in getting title deeds. This would be explained at the centres.
“We will have officials in every centre who would respond to land questions and forward the complaints to the commission for action,” said Ms Wambua.
Ms Wambua said most of the 100 complaints they received yesterday were about double allocation, where land had more than one title deed with different people claiming it.
She said the problem would come to an end after the clinic are set up.
“Our workers would be verifying the title deeds before they are issued to prevent double allocation,” she said. Land with more than one title deed would be repossessed.
Ms Wambua said the land centres would also provide information on succession. She said a succession dispute was among cases presented at the commission’s stand.
“We have realised that succession is a major problem. There is lack of information on succession. Most people do not know how to go about such disputes, which arise after parents die and leave the family without a title deed,” she said.
Ms Wambua also said the commission was working on issues of land historical injustices.
