Public outcry prompts Senate probe into backlog of title deeds
Senators say the delays have left many Kenyans in legal and financial limbo, while also enabling fraudsters to exploit landowners by promising to fast-track the process.
Senators have launched a probe into the Ministry of Lands over unexplained delays in the issuance of land title deeds, amid rising public complaints and fears of widespread fraud linked to the backlog.
The Senate’s Departmental Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources argues that the delays have left many Kenyans in legal and financial limbo, while also enabling fraudsters to exploit landowners by promising to fast-track the process.
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The committee, chaired by Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki, has begun investigations to uncover the reasons behind the persistent delays in processing title deeds at registries across the country.
Legislators are demanding an explanation from the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, specifically seeking clarity on whether the setbacks stem from a shortage of critical documents or other systemic issues.
“We also want to know measures being implemented by the Ministry of Land, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development to resolve this issue, along with the timelines for restoring normal operations in land registries,” Nominated Senator Raphael Chimera said.
Public trust
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei said the problem is widespread and has continued to undermine public trust in the land administration system.
“The issue of processing of titles is still a big challenge in the country,” Cherargei said.
“It takes more than six months to transfer titles from leasehold to freehold, even when applicants have met all procedural requirements.”
In Nandi County, he said, the problem persists in areas such as Koiben, Chepkumia, Kapkangani, Kiptuia, Tinderet, Ngatipkong and Gapchoria. He added that similar challenges are rampant in Nairobi City County and Kisii County.
“Where I come from, respect for men comes from ownership of land, having a wife or wives and children for purposes of succession,” Cherargei said.
“You will only be respected as an elder if you have the above. You cannot sit in a meeting discussing serious community matters in my community if you do not have land and children.”
He called on the National Assembly to allocate more funds to the Ministry of Lands to address the delays and improve service delivery.
“So, the titling of land is a serious security issue, and it can be used to secure the future of this nation,” he added.
The Ministry of Lands has long been plagued by inefficiencies and scandals, including land grabbing, double allocation and entrenched corruption. Last year, 307 security documents used for printing title deeds were stolen from the Government Printer, raising concerns over potential forgery.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome attributed the theft to land cartels keen to obtain genuine title papers for fraudulent activities.
“This was the work of land grabbers who have been trying to get hold of correct papers because most of the time their land grabbing schemes don’t succeed due to wrong title papers,” Wahome said.
The ministry’s inefficiencies were further highlighted in a recent report by the Office of the Ombudsman, which placed the Ministry of Lands among the top government institutions with the most public complaints. The report revealed that the ministry accounted for seven per cent of all complaints received.
“Many citizens have reported long wait times for essential services such as the issuance of title deeds,” read the report.
Since 2019, the Commission said it has received 392 complaints against the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, of which only 186 have been resolved. Some of the cases have taken between three and four years, with others dragging on for much longer.
The report highlighted 119 cases that remained unresolved for between four and 15 years, eight cases delayed for up to 25 years, and two that have been pending for more than 25 years.
CS Wahome acknowledged the challenges and assured the public that reforms are underway.
She also pledged to have the ministry expedite the processes and issue at least 420,000 title deeds in the period between 2024 and 2025.
Last year, the Association of Real Estate Stakeholders called for a thorough investigation to determine the root causes of the delays. The group pointed to procedural inefficiencies, corruption, and inadequate resources as some of the key challenges that need urgent attention.
“The delays continue to cause unnecessary quarrels with clients,” the association said, urging the State to allocate sufficient resources to relevant government agencies to ensure they are adequately staffed and equipped to process documents on time.
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