Kirinyaga: A total of 1,664 residents from 11 colonial villages in Kirinyaga County are set to benefit from land ownership documents under the Second Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP 2). This breakthrough marks a critical step towards resolving long-standing land tenure challenges in the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, KISIP 2 is a collaborative initiative jointly funded by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), Agence Fran§aise de D©veloppement (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the Government of Kenya. The programme aims to improve access to basic services, enhance land tenure security in urban informal settlements, and strengthen the institutional capacity for slum upgrading across Kenya. It operates under the vision of 'Promoting Dignified Living' by addressing systemic issues such as insecure land tenure, poor infrastructure, and limited socio-economic opportunities.
The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, Physical Planning, and Urban Development in Kirinyaga, Samuel Kanjobe, stated that the county is benefiting from KISIP 2 under Lot 6, which includes 11 out of 148 villages targeted for regularisation. "And in this programme in Kirinyaga, out of 148, in this first component, we are having 11 villages. We still have others that we have proposed upcoming for the second tier involving 7 villages. We have a huge backlog of villages that still require regularisation in terms of the creation of documents of ownership," Kanjobe said.
Kanjobe further noted Kirinyaga County's uniqueness, as it has the highest number of informal settlements originating as colonial villages. During the colonial era, people were clustered in villages during repatriation, and while other counties transitioned to individual land allocations, these villages remained intact. This has left the county dealing with land ownership challenges while others focus on infrastructure.
"Whereas some of the counties are benefitting from the second component of this programme KISP 2, which is infrastructure development, ours are still there looking towards land regularisation. We still request the national government to make a special consideration for our county," the CEC noted. He expressed optimism that the ongoing implementation of KISIP 2 would significantly reduce the number of residents without vital land documents in the county.
The county government is also in the process of resettling 35 families on vacant government land, with each family receiving an eighth of an acre, paving the way for titling and formal issuance of documents. "We hope that this programme will be fast-tracked. There is still a huge backlog of the outstanding colonial villages that will also require preparation, regularisation and issuance of the documents of ownership," Kanjobe said.
Residents of Mukinduri and Kamuiru villages-two of the targeted colonial settlements-welcomed the initiative as a long-awaited relief, with Rosemary Waithira from Mukinduri noting that formal titling would help clearly identify and protect public utilities such as roads, which have previously been encroached upon and nearly disappeared. Another resident, John Mwangi, echoed her sentiments, saying the lack of documentation has historically fuelled boundary disputes and tensions within the community.
Meanwhile, Muriithi Kagai from Kamuiru village highlighted the economic impact of land ownership: "Having a title deed means you can access bank loans to expand your business. It also means our roads can be widened, which will improve emergency response services like fire and ambulances."
The issuance of land titles through KISIP 2 is poised to usher in a new era of security, dignity, and development for thousands of residents.