Kirima family land

It’s been a big relief to read in some local media outlets that the Kirima family has undertaken not to subject those settled on its Nairobi land to evictions. It’s been reported that the family is willing to dispose the land to the current occupants on a “willing buyer willing seller” basis. This, they observe, will avert evictions associated with cruel demolitions and destruction of property. This is a perfect win-win situation to family and occupants. The Kirima land is vast, stranding parts of Njiru in Nairobi’s Eastlands.

Unplanned, unapproved settlements and structures

Annual land levy on freehold land

Through the Land Laws (Amendment) (No 2) Bill of 2023, the Government intends to have owners of freehold land within urban or city areas pay an annual land levy on freehold property. Sitting right inside the plethora of amendments proposed through the Bill, this seemingly mundane clause is easy to miss, but yet has grave implications to the affected property owners. Section 51 of this Bill seeks to amend Section 54 of the Land Act by inserting a new section 54A with this new requirement. Members of Parliament must beware the implications of this provision to themselves, and Kenyans with freehold properties within urban or city boundaries. They must reject the proposal. This is why.

Ancestral land and basic livelihoods

Vast and busy docket

When she reported to the Lands Ministry at Ardhi House in October last year, Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome walked. Done occasionally, this style would acquaint her with what happens at the precincts of this humbling building. It disrupts the not-so-well-intentioned actors. Indeed, her occasional easy visits to sections in the Ministry would be a boon. It’d demystify many things. The default practice is to be chauffeured to the basement, ushered into the lift and quickly delivered to the seat of power on 12^th floor, which can alienate her.

CS Wahome holds a big and busy Ministry. She has to steer firmly. She’s responsible for the vexing housing programme, which will occupy lots of her time. However, she mustn’t allow pressure from housing to deny her time for the land agenda, which is huge, and impacts everyone. Tenure security provides the foundation to major national projects, including housing.

Revocation of Galana-Kulalu Settlement Scheme

Year 2023 opened with mixed expectations following the swearing into office of Lands Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mr Zachariah Mwangi Njeru in late 2022. As we ushered in January, President William Ruto revoked the subdivision of Galana-Kulalu land into settlement plots. This was followed by news on the suspension of the subdivision of some 2800 acre community land parcel in Kibiku, Kajiado West Sub-County, following grabbing allegations. Not much has been heard about these since. The new CS held consultative meetings with stakeholders following threats of public demonstrations by the Law Society of Kenya over delays, inefficiencies and collapse of services in land registries. The CS subsequently put in place measures, such as the manual registration of transactions to properties not yet converted to the Land Registration Act, to ensure that land transactions continued even as digitization proceeded.

Farm invasions

Proposal to hike fees

The recent gazette notice by the Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome proposing to increase fees for various services offered by the Ministry has provoked public discussion. There are times such an increment could be a boon to the provision of land services. Nevertheless, there are times this can be a bane to the target consumers. It all depends on the underlying justification, the prevailing circumstances, and the magnitude of the increment. The timing, the involvement and communication of the information to industry matter too.

Fee hikes need justification and buy-in