Title deeds now

EFFECTIVE land management is predicated on proper ownership. It is those with legitimate documentation for the land they claim to own who can confidently make decisions on what to do with their parcels and maximise the potential.

Ownership is essentially determined by title deeds. Unfortunately, just a tiny fraction of Kenya’s land has titles. A status report by the Lands ministry shows that 70% of the total land mass has no titles. Although the parcels have owners, that is not recognised in law.

This has serious ramifications. Simply, it means that the bulk of the country’s land cannot optimally be put into economic use. Without title, a piece of land cannot be used as collateral to secure a bank loan or any other transaction. Claims to land ownership without title cannot be sustained when there is a contest over property rights. This explains the prevalent vice of land grabbing.

Land ownership was at the heart of the fight for political independence. It is recalled that the white settlers and the colonial administration appropriated land belonging to the colonies, dispossessing locals – hence the subsequent battle for independence, to reclaim it.

Indeed, independence leaders repossessed the land, but instead of surrendering it to the original owners, a few top politicians seized and converted huge tracts to personal property.

Lands Cabinet secretary Farida Karoney has a clear assignment: to expedite land registration and issuance of title deeds to give citizens legitimate ownership of their parcels that they can put into proper economic use. She must break the bureaucracies and cartels that have consistently pulled back land-titling plans.