Residents of Nyarkinywa land at Cherangany sub-county have a reason to smile after the government waived Kshs.19M of land rent that they were supposed to pay before demarcation and subsequent titling of individual farms. Nyarkinywa land has been inhabited mostly by a Gikuyu community with a population of 1,632 and the land has had various squabbles surrounding it as most of the inhabitants in the past expressed their dissatisfaction in the manner the land was handled blaming cartels for infiltrating the land which was at a verge of being sold by the cartels to some individuals.
The land was given to the community by the first president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta but since then the inhabitants have been residing in the farm without title deeds as well as failure to pay land rates to the government that accumulated to Kshs.19M. Speaking after visiting the more than 200 hectares of land on Wednesday, regional commissioner for Rift valley George Natembeya assured the inhabitants of the government’s plan to waive the Kshs.19M promising them that the government will cater for the money, calling upon them to continue residing in peace with others.
“The president launched titling of various farms in Kenya that have disputes and this land has been catered for. We are aware you are supposed to pay kshs.19m before titling starts, the government has waived this loan,” said Natembeya.
Natembeya claimed Trans Nzoia county has several farms without titles and that the government will roll out an exercise of issuing title deeds to all the genuine landowners residing in several farms without titles claiming demarcation of plots to some owners of the land will start soon so that the problem where locals reside on farms without titles is addressed.
The regional commissioner was accompanied by Cherangany Mp Joshua Kuttuny and Trans Nzoia County commissioner Sam Ojwang with the area MP claiming the land has in the past been infiltrated by politics with several leaders blaming the administration of not addressing the issue which normally put the leadership in bad light with leadership claiming the matter will now help build good rapport between the inhabitants of the said farm and leaders in the sub-county.
Cherangany constituency has been having two farms Bonde farm at Cherangany Ward and now Nyarkinywa farm in Kaplamai Ward that had locals residing within without titles and the government has intervened in clearing debts the farms owed with demarcation and titling that is expected to start soon.
