Atleast 1700 residents from Tindiret and Samitui in Nandi County have received land titles after waiting for 50 years.The residents who have been anxiously waiting for the documents could not hide their joy as Land CS Prof Jacob Kaimenyi officially handed over to them.
Speaking when he presided over the issuance of the title deeds at Mberere and later at Samitui in Aldai Nandi County, Kaimenyi praised the Jubilee government for fulfilling its pledge to issue Kenyans with the land title deeds, ‘’It was the target of the Jubilee government in 2013 that by 2017 we will have issued 3million title deeds and at the moment we have issued a total of 2.4 million’’ he added.
At the same time Prof Kaimenyi has urged Nandi residents to collect over 33,000 of 42,000 land titles issued, which he said have been lying at the lands registry in Kapsabet since 2013.
Moreover, he has urged those who were issued with the title deeds not to sell their land but instead utilize it for production and to venture into business by using land as collateral to seek funds from financial institutions,sentiments echoed by several leaders present during the function led by Nandi County deputy governor Dominic Biwott, area MP Hon Julius Melli, Aldai MP Hon Cornelius Serem and County CEC in charge of Lands Dr John Chumo.
On the breadth the leaders have expressed their gratitude to the National government for waiving fees previously charged on the issuance of the title deeds, further rallying the residents
to go and collect their ready land titles.
On his part Chairman Land Commission Prof Mohammed Swazuri has issued a stern warning against land grabbers in the County to voluntarily surrender any public land in their possession before a three – day thorough audit on all alleged stolen land in the County commencing on 17th to 19th of November this year by his office in conjunction with Nandi County government.
Sentiments that were strongly backed by his boss Prof Kaimenyi who has cautioned those who are fond of stealing public land including schools, churches, hospitals and markets to cease forthwith , ‘’ I warn those individuals who have grabbed any public land and any individual harbouring similar ill intentions to return back those land before we catch up with them’’ he added.
The directive comes following an outcry by County leaders led by Nandi governor Dr Cleophas Lagat and his deputy Dominic Biwott in the wake of increasing cases of land grabbing in the County especially in institutions of learning and other public lands.
Speaking at the function Biwott has called on the Swazuri led Commission to immediately intervene in the latest shocking revelation of private developer who has laid claim of a 2 acre piece of land at Kapsabet Boys high school and another who is claiming ownership of half of Kapsabet town. “In Tindiret another private developer has also grabbed 15 acres of Soisitet primary school and in Kapsabet Showground we have received claims of somebody who is trying to encroach our land”, decried Biwott.