Waitiki: Land reform or mere politics?

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta issues a title deed to a resident of the Waitiki Farm at Shika Ababu grounds, Likoni, in Mombasa County on January 9, 2016. Truth be told, however, very little is known about the deal made in State House between the landowner and the Executive. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They are just happy to have the papers that guarantee them 99 years of untroubled occupation of land at a throwaway price.
  • However, there is a season for everything and the Jubilee initiative must not end in Likoni.
  • Should he rest on his laurels, he will be accused of selective implementation, private agreements and politicising land matters

Nothing seems to arouse debate and emotions quite like land.

John Steinbeck said everyone wants to get a little bit of heaven and a little bit of land.

Kenya has roughly 143 million acres, which were it evenly distributed would leave 3.5 acres for every citizen.

Regretfully, most of it is unsuitable for livelihoods and the good stuff is in the hands of a few hundred.

Yet, just about everyone knows and talks about Waitiki Farm as if it directly affected their own welfare.

Truth be told, however, very little is known about the deal made in State House between the landowner and the Executive.

The final price for the land was never disclosed although taxpayers’ money was used.

Similar private arrangements had many unanswered questions with land purchased to settle IDPs in the Rift Valley.

Who now can say if the land rates due to Mombasa County were factored into the Waitiki purchase price?

It was no surprise, however, to see the matter immersed in politics with Jubilee taking credit for ‘resolving the coastal land problem’ and Mombasa County being besieged to waive the land rates.

Of course the beneficiaries don’t really worry about the politics.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

They are just happy to have the papers that guarantee them 99 years of untroubled occupation of land at a throwaway price.

However, the opaqueness and haste about the final stages of the exercise leave a lot of unanswered questions.

Firstly, what are the conditions attached to the lease?

Does the lease allow residential buildings alone or can it be used for commercial purposes?

Is there a land use plan with areas set aside for public facilities?

Are there joint leases that guarantee a woman’s right to own land and to be consulted before sale?

What measures will be taken if beneficiaries fail to make repayments? Will they be obliged to pay land rates to Mombasa County?

There is a lot of fuzziness about the agreement.

However, the regularising of the occupants of Waitiki Farm is a positive development.

But coast residents need to know where this exercise is going.

Is there a master land reform plan that is budgeted, staffed and with a timeline?

Is this an initiative of central government that reduces County Land Management Boards (CLMB) and the National Land Commission (NLC) to a peripheral role in land matters?

SOLVE OTHER CASES

Is it more about politics than reform?

There are dozens of ‘Waitiki’ scenarios in Mombasa city and in all six coastal counties.

For decades the land question has remained unaddressed by successive regimes.

The political class are themselves beneficiaries of irregularly allocated land and this explains the years of neglect.

However, there is a season for everything and the Jubilee initiative must not end in Likoni.

Mr Kenyatta has kept his promise even while the process needs clarification and follow up.

However, should he rest on his laurels, he will be accused of selective implementation, private agreements and politicising land matters.

Put another way, a good start is half the journey, but if the initiative ends here, it will backfire and will lead to more conflict in a region that has seen far too much.

Fr Gabriel Dolan is a missionary who has worked across the country, including in Kitale, Turkana and Mombasa, where he is currently based. [email protected]