CS Wahome » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 27 – Only 5,226 out of the country’s 31,000 public schools possess title deeds.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome disclosed this during a question session with Senators on Wednesday.
Kirinyaga Senator James Murango had inquired about the progress of title deed issuance both in the county and nationally, prompting Wahome’s response.
According to the compilation released by Wahome, 5,799 schools have reservation files and are in line to receive their title deeds.
The initiative to issue title deeds was prompted by a 2019 audit highlighting the necessity of providing public schools with these essential documents.
Despite efforts, Wahome expressed regret over the sluggish pace of the process, attributing it to various challenges.
Nevertheless, she assured Senators that her Ministry has implemented measures to address the issue promptly.
“The titling of public land has been going on over the years however the progress has been slow, uncoordinated, and without guidelines but the ministry has put in place to resolve the issue,” she said.
The absence of title deeds for public schools has frequently rendered them targets and vulnerable to land grabbing in the country.
Over the years, successive governments have however made efforts to secure the land on which these schools are built, thereby protecting them from land grabbers and providing legal recognition of ownership.
As part of the measures aimed at addressing the issue, the Lands Ministry introduced drastic land reforms during the previous regime of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, which entailed the complete digitization of land records.
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