Nairobi: Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki commissioned a new land registry at Kithimani in Yatta Sub-county, a move expected to ease land service delivery for residents of Masinga, Yatta, and Mwala Sub-counties of Machakos County.
According to Kenya News Agency, for years, residents of Yatta and Masinga have had to travel to Machakos Town to process land transactions. The new registry is anticipated to streamline land administration and bring services closer to the people. ‘This facility is here to serve you. It will save you time and money spent traveling to Machakos for land services,’ Prof. Kindiki said during the commissioning ceremony.
The deputy president also issued 1,300 title deeds to landowners in Yatta and Masinga as part of government efforts to strengthen land rights and security of tenure. He mentioned that all land records from Kithimani, Yatta, Masinga, and Mwala have been transferred and relevant personnel for adjudication, surveying, registration, and titling services have been deployed.
Kindiki affirmed that the government remains committed to equitable development across the country, regardless of political affiliation. ‘It doesn’t matter how you vote. Every citizen has a right to choose their own leader. Development is for everyone, and no one should be castigated for voting for the opposition,’ Kindiki said. He urged political leaders to shun divisive politics and instead focus on service delivery. He further called on residents to work with the government to promote peace and unity.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome noted that 235,000 land parcels have been transferred from the Machakos Town registry to Kithimani to decentralize operations. ‘1,300 title deeds are ready for collection. I encourage residents to pick them up and to discard allotment letters, which are not valid proof of ownership,’ CS Wahome said. To address the high workload, the CS stated that 19 staff members have been deployed to the Kithimani Registry, with plans to hire 11 more. ‘Peace and unity are key to the success of any government and country,’ she reiterated.
Councillor Gregory Mulwa of Yatta highlighted the challenges residents have faced accessing land services in Machakos, particularly transport costs. He welcomed the government’s launch of the Land Registry in Kithimani, Yatta. Steven Muthoka, a Matuu resident, shared that some families sold livestock to travel to Machakos for surveying and title processing. He expressed optimism that the new Kithimani Land Registry will improve service delivery.
The new registry is expected to reduce backlogs and improve efficiency in land registration, transfers, and issuance of documents for more than 500,000 residents in the three sub-counties.
