Turkana: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the European Union have joined forces with local stakeholders to initiate a land mapping exercise in Turkana County. This effort aims to facilitate the processing of land documentation for local communities.
According to Kenya News Agency, the multinational agencies, in partnership with the Department of Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Areas Management, have begun mapping public lands to expedite the issuance of title deeds. The exercise is set to cover areas within Loima, Lokiriama, and Lokichoggio Sub Counties, where land tenure remains predominantly under trust.
Faith Aletea, Turkana Chief Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, indicated that the demarcation for subsequent titling will specifically target the townships of Lorugum, Namoruputh, and Lokiriama. She emphasized the importance of the exercise in protecting public lands from encroachment and potential acquisition by private developers exploiting the current trust land arrangement.
‘Through this exercise, we are not just documenting these parcels, we are ensuring that they remain protected in line with the County’s land governance system,’ Aletea stated.
Leah Losiru, the Chief Officer for Lands, noted that the exercise would enable the county to enhance services related to land allocation for public utilities such as schools, health facilities, and administrative centers.
Mark Ewesit, representing the National Land Commission (NLC) in Turkana, highlighted that the initiative would help mitigate conflicts stemming from land ownership disputes. ‘Once the process is complete and titles issued, many of the conflicts we see today will be reduced,’ he explained.
During the mapping exercise, meetings were held with respective Deputy County Commissioners. Senior Survey and Physical Planning officers, including Director of Survey Egiron Joseph, along with officers from the National Land Commission and the County Government, were also in attendance.