Garissa: Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, Alice Wahome, has reiterated the Ministry’s dedication to efficient delivery of services to Kenyans. Wahome said that the Government is working on an additional six unregistered community lands in Garissa that the County government has submitted for gazettement and urged the beneficiaries to utilise their titles responsibly and avoid selling their land indiscriminately.
According to Kenya News Agency, since independence, only 3,000 title deeds had been issued to the people of Garissa. Today alone, another 3,000 have been issued for Garissa Township, with an additional 4,500 title deeds currently under preparation. Land titling is crucial because it provides legal documentation of land ownership, ensuring security of tenure, facilitating land transactions, and enabling access to credit, ultimately contributing to economic development and poverty reduction.
Issuance of title deeds in the region will play a role in improving security and fostering cohesion by eliminating frequent conflicts over land which had been contributed by lack of legal footing in land ownership claims. Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning, Nixon Korir, expressed his gratitude to the President for prioritising land ownership in Garissa. In addition to the 3,000 title deeds issued today, there are 1,034 more awaiting execution and another 3,543 under preparation.
The CS and PS were speaking in Garissa, where the President issued 3,000 title deeds to residents of five adjudication sections in Garissa Township Sub-county, Garissa County, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to improving land tenure security for all Kenyans. The title deeds were distributed to beneficiaries from Garissa Municipality Blocks 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9, marking a milestone in land reforms and ownership rights in the region.
The President also launched the Garissa Affordable Housing Project, which comprises 408 housing units. The project is expected to stimulate the local economy by creating employment opportunities and providing decent, affordable homes for area residents. He was accompanied by key government officials, including Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Aden Duale, Principal Secretaries, Nixon Korir (Lands and Physical Planning), Charles Hinga (Housing and Urban Development), Abubakar Hassan Abdi (Investment Promotion), Chris Kiptoo (National Treasury), Mohamed Daghar (Transport), and Jonathan Mueke (Livestock Development).
Other leaders present were Governors Nathif Jama (Garissa) and Mohamud Ali (Marsabit), Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, Garissa Women Representative Anab Gure, and MPs Farah Maalim (Daadab), Shurie Abdi Omar (Balambala), Salah Yakub (Fafi), and Mohamed Abdikadir.