By Cynthia Ochieng
Kesses Member of Parliament CPA Julius Ruto has asked the government to hasten the issuance of title deeds to hundreds of locals living in the area that do not have the crucial documents.
CPA Ruto says the lack of title deeds had blocked the initiation of major development projects in the area.
Speaking during an event graced by Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki, the legislator said the Ministry of Lands and the National Lands Commission (NLC) need to work towards addressing the issue once and for all.
“For many years, we have been facing this problem of title deeds. We were promised by the government that this issue will be looked into and we are glad that the minister is here and that our pleas will be looked into very soon,” said CPA Ruto.
Responding to the MP’s request, CS Kindiki said he will work with the Ministry of Land to ensure the title deeds issues are addressed.
Land conflicts in Kesses
The Interior CS further promised that the matter will be handled within the next 100 days.
“Title deeds are very vital in the ownership of property. It gives one security of their property. Therefore, in a span of 3 months, cases in regard to title deeds in this area will be unheard of. This will scare away predators who acquire land illegally,” said Kindiki.
Kesses is one of the areas in Uasin Gishu where land remains an emotive issue. It has since reported numerous land conflicts that date back to the 2007/2008 Post Election Violence period.
Some of the locals living in the area have been struggling with land eviction threats from well-known personalities for many years. This is despite the fact that some senior community members have letters of allotment as well as documentation that prove ownership of the land.
It is estimated that about 6,000 households in Kesses Sub County do not have title deeds for the parcels of land that they are currently living in.
