- Some 1,041 residents of Mikindani and another 467 people from Miritini are expected to be verified and later receive their title deeds.
- Nassir is working to ensure that all Mombasa residents owning land without titles receive them; cartels warned to keep off.
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG
The Mombasa government has warned land cartels, saying that it will not be business as usual as 1,500 title deeds will be issued to legitimate owners.
Lands executive Mohamed Hussein said on Monday they will not relent in their efforts to kick out land cartels that have been defrauding innocent residents.
Governor Abdulswamad Nassir's administration is planning to issue over 1,500 title deeds. The date was not given.
Hussein said they have put on notice all land cartels.
“We will weed out land cartels that have been manipulating records at the lands office to fraudulently acquire land from unsuspecting locals,” Hussein said.
He spoke in Mikindani, Jomvu constituency, after launching a verification exercise for residents who are expected to receive their title deeds.
Some 1,041 residents of Mikindani ward and another 467 from Miritini ward are expected to be screened and receive their title deeds.
Hussein said the exercise that started in Jomvu will be replicated in the remaining five subcounties of Mombasa — Kisauni, Nyali, Likoni, Mvita and Changamwe.
“We have embarked on this exercise to ensure the real landowners receive their title deeds. Many times, issues emerge where one has been allocated the wrong plot number or names appear differently, but we want to straighten things out through this exercise to ensure the rightful owners receive their titles,” Hussein said.
At the same time, Hussein reiterated the governor’s commitment to end the problem of squatters that has bedeviled the county for years.
He said Nassir is working tirelessly to ensure all Moey can empower themselves.
“The county government is committed to ending the squatter issue in Mombasa, and the governor has already laid down a plan. This is something we promised during the campaigns and now we are delivering,” Hussein said.
The process of digitising the lands department has already started and is proceeding well
Hussein said they were currently sorting out documents, and working closely with the national land to make it happen.
Area residents turned out in numbers and praised the county's move, saying lauded the move by the county saying that they were now confident rightful owners of plots will receive their titles.
They said unscrupulous private developers have been working in collusion with corrupt land officials to deprive innocent Kenyans of their land.
“We are glad the verification exercise has been brought closer to us and we will soon get our titles. Titles will give us confidence the land rightfully belongs to us and we will not have any problems with anyone,” resident Lillian Kimondoof the Mikindani Staff area said.
Resident Grace Wanjiru of Plaza Mikindani said she was happy they were soon receive their title after chasing the document for more than two decades without success.
“I am here on behalf of my late parents who have had land in this area, but they never got titles by the time they died. It gives me joy that finally through me we will the title deed for our land,” she said.