Some of the land problems at the Coast are caused by delay by Kenyans to act on the process of titling after acquiring allotment letters. – By Ramadhan Kambi.
Human rights activists at the coast now say this is also another problem bedeviling the land issue and unless it is addressed full, then land injustices might continue to emerge.
The Human rights defenders claim that there is an increasing number of Kenyans who fail to act on their allotment letters thus precipitating the land question in the region.
They said that this habit has accounted for the historical land injustices witnessed in the region.
Speaking to journalists in Mombasa, Haki Yetu Organisation lands and governance officer, John Paul Obonyo said thousands of locals at the Coast have allotment letters but have failed to act on them to get title deeds.
“What people should know is that allotment letters have an expiry date and should someone fail to honor and pay the dues, someone else will act on it for their own benefit,” he said.
Mr Obonyo further wants the county government to regularize informal settlements saying they account for a bigger percentage of housing.
“There is a need for Kenyans to understand land and housing matters. The county should also ascent county land management bill,” he said.
He said that while addressing the land issue at the Coast, the government should discourage forcefully eviction of squatters and reduce the scenarios where people have been forced to live in the cold after their houses were demolished during evictions.
Juhudi Community Centre executive director Simon Katee asked Coast lobby groups to sensitize Kenyans on the importance of land documents including title deeds.
Mr Katee said most people are not conversant with the validity of the allotment letter and cited this as one of the catalysts for the historical land injustices that have emerged as a challenge in solving land question in the Coast region.
“Some of the key land reports outline all these. We have a whole chapter of the land policies in this region,” noted Katee.
Najib Shamsan, who is a member of the Kenya Land Alliance said the government can transfer the letter to a willing Kenyan should one fail to honor it.
Mr Shamsan wants those bearing allotment letters to visit lands department offices to determine the validity of the document.
“It is your responsibility to pay the government its dues. Nothing comes without charges. Pay so that you can claim it,”
