It is a dream come true for over 500 land owners within Eldoret Municipality after they finally received title deeds for their land.
The land owners have been waiting for the crucial documents for years, and now have a reason to smile.
On Thursday, Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim presided over the handing over of the title deeds to the land owners from Kuinet, Hill School and Maili Nne areas.
505 title deeds were issued out following processing facilitated by the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Programme (KISIP).
Among the land owners that received their title deeds was Sarah Cheruiyot, mother to President William Ruto.
Security for families
Speaking during the event held at the County Headquarters in Eldoret town, Governor Bii said the documents will now allow the land owners to develop their properties.
“Land holds deep significance as it represents a fundamental part of identity and security for families, and our communities,” the county boss said.
“By providing authentic documentation of land ownership, we aim to mitigate the risk of land disputes and foster harmonious coexistence among community members besides empowering them to make better use of their property,” he added.
More title deeds are expected to be issued to other land owners soon.
With the title deeds, the land owners can now work on initiating development projects on their respective properties.
But even with the issuance of the documents, the governor expressed concerns over high number of land conflicts in the county.
He encouraged locals that have differences over land ownership to embrace use of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
According to Bii, use of ADR saves time and minimizes cost that litigants incur in court cases that take years to be resolved.
