The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Zachariah M. Njeru has appeared in Senate today to respond to the following lawmakers’ questions:

𝐒𝐄𝐍. (𝐃𝐫.) 𝐋𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐰𝐞 𝐋𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢: What measures is the Government taking to ensure full operationalization of the Samburu Land Registry that was opened in 2021 to enable residents of Samburu County have access to land registration services and issuance of title deeds?

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: The Country Government had offered some office space in the basement of the Governor’s building; however, it posed a challenge to access by the clients and the public. The National Government is, however, constructing a Land Registry at Maralal which is half complete (50% complete).

There are major works that the contractor on site is expected to do. Due to auxiliary measures the allocated budget was reduced to zero (0) in the last Financial Year thereby leading to stalled process. However, the Government has allocated Kshs. 17,000,000 in the FY 2023/2024 towards the completion of the project. The estimated budget to complete is Kshs. 42, 389,713 hoping that the National Treasury will allocate adequate funds to have the project completed soonest possible.

In addition, most land in Samburu County is owned Communally under the Community Land Act 2016. However, there are leasehold properties in townships. The Government has, therefore, been fast-tracking the processing of titles/leases in the country. Earlier this Month (June), Samburu County Government in conjunction with the National Lands Commission issued 2607 letters of allotment for plots in Maralal Township and 2000 letters of allotments are being processed therefore the Ministry is waiting to receive the Allotment letters for processing of lease Documents.

Further, Community Land Management Boards for the various Community groups in the Country have been gazetted and our Adjudication officers and surveyors are in Samburu recording interests in land, and resolving disputes where demarcation is currently ongoing.

𝐒𝐄𝐍. (𝐃𝐫.) 𝐋𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐰𝐞 𝐋𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢: When will the Government deploy a Land Registrar to Samburu County?

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: The Ministry, In the early 2022, posted a Land Registrar to Samburu County, however, the office space that was provided for the registry was not adequate and was inaccessible to the Community. The County Government had offered an office in the basement of Governor’s building.

The Land Registrar is, therefore, currently working from Nyahururu where the records are kept and maintained, however, the Government is committed to posting back the Registrar of Maralal once the Samburu Land Registry offices block (Samburu Ardhi House) at Maralal is compete.

𝐒𝐄𝐍. 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐮: When will the Land Registry in Ol-kalou Nyandarua County will be in operational, now that the buildings is complete and we had an indication that the Registry will be operational by February?

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: We have Eight (8) Land Registries that are not operational including that one in Ol-Kalou Nyandarua Country, but we are in the process, the registry is not yet complete, there some works that needs to be done knowing that land records are very sensitive. Therefore, there some few operational and administrative things that the ministry needs to do apart from the building and once done we are going to open the registry. 

𝐒𝐄𝐍. 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐞: How long will it take you to gazette the Land that was Grabbed by Lake Turkana wind-power as ruled by the Court?

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: I need more time to research on the above concern, and I kindly welcome Senator Chute in my office for more clarity and response on the issue once I have done enough research on the same. 

𝐒𝐄𝐍. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐫: How will you protect Community Land from Land Grabbers, and this applies across good number of Counties including West-pokot,Samburu, Marsabit and others, where some individuals grab Community land in the name of private land/Ranches? 

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: We are working Closely with the County Governments to solve the problem. The County Governments are coming up with inventories and so far as Ministry we have already registered Nine (9) inventories going on.

𝐒𝐄𝐍. (𝐃𝐫.) 𝐋𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐰𝐞 𝐋𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐢: Is the Ministry ready to hire property as a registry to provide services for the residents of Samburu County?

𝐂𝐒 𝐙𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐍𝐣𝐞𝐫𝐮: It might not be economically viable to go again hire another property and at the same time we need more capital to complete the registry, now that have already allocated Kshs 17,000,000 this Financial year we can make sure that we are done with the first floor so that we can accommodate part of the Staff working at the registry to provide services to the residents.