Kajiado land owners protest new property sale rules, term them illegal
A move by Kajiado county government to control the sale of land has caused uproar with owners and players in the real estate sector, terming it unconstitutional.
Under the new plan, the county will be charging Sh20,000 for each sub-divided title deed. Each subdivision must be approved by the county before the new owner can be allowed to possess the land. No sub-division of less than a quarter of an acre will be approved.
“The new rules come at a time when we have already bought land speculating all we have already sold to groups awaiting sub-division to their members, we don’t have minimum acreage ownership in Kenya,” said Hezekiah Kariuki, the Chief Executive of Comfort Homes Limited.
Kajiado Lands executive Hamilton Parseina did not respond to our text messages on the matter.
Players in the real estate sector have since faulted the plan by the county saying it violates the constitution on land ownership.
Article 61 of the Constitution says all land belongs to the people of Kenya collectively as a nation, as communities and as individuals.
Kariuki said leaders should avoid making political statements while addressing matters related to land.
“We are totally opposed to the recent move where the county government announced that plots should only be divided 100 by 100.That is not practical at all; people should be allowed to purchase land which they can afford. Leaders should also understand that Kajiado is the bedroom of Nairobi so unlike before, people are now moving there for settlement,” he said.
Use plan
Kariuki also urged Kajiado leaders to instead train their people on zero-grazing. “Nobody is fighting pastoralism but it is also high time people understood that times are changing and some of the property they have can be used for more meaningful purposes,” he said.
Kariuki said Kajiado should first give time for more consultations, warning that the move can lead to inter-community conflicts.
In an effort to address land use challenges, the county government of Kajiado has launched the 2020-2030 spatial plan in what it says is aimed at controlling development and land use.
Mushrooming towns, uncontrolled urban development and environmental degradation have recently been termed as major challenges affecting the county.
Governor Joseph Ole Lenku said the county initiative is geared to protecting agricultural and grazing land by ensuring each area has its own use plan.
