Counties to have final word on renewal of land leases

Holders of expired land leases will now be required to renew them with the county governments where the parcels are located, a Cabinet Secretary has said.

Ms Charity Ngilu, of the Land, Housing and Urban Development docket said on expiry of a lease, the holder should consult the county government in case the land was needed for projects.

“The Land Act states that the lease holder returns the land to the government and it will then be decided if he can retain it or surrender it to the county or national government,” she said.

Speaking this week during the launch of a Sh758 million informal settlements improvement project for Nakuru Town West sub-county, Ms Ngilu emphasised that re-acquisition of leased land depended on the county government.

“Renewal of the lease must be done through the county government before it is sealed by the National Land Commission,” she said.

Ms Ngilu said the government plans to build 300,000 housing units in 15 informal settlements in the country.

“In the next three years we will be planning and surveying the settlements which will result in the building of 300,000 houses through public-private partnerships,” she said, adding that 812 housing units will be built in Kibera for 4,000 families.

The slum upgrading programme, which is sponsored by the World Bank, AFD and Sida, will improve road networks and establish sewerage and sanitation systems.

“The key components of the programme are tenure regularisation and infrastructure provision to improve living conditions in informal settlements,” she said.

Ms Ngilu also said the government would fulfil its promise to deliver three million title deeds in three years.