Local administrators in Migori county have undergone a land succession training to enable them collect, edit and process right, factual and truthful documentations to help in land dispute resolutions.
The initiative aimed to equip the chiefs with the necessary requisite skills and knowledge on how to handle succession claims.
Speaking in Migori town after launching the innitiative, County legislator said training forum educated chiefs on the how to handle, process and submit land succession claims.
Fatumma Mohammed, Migori County MP
“This is an initiative to help the vulnerable in the community considering the complexity of succession matters. We have included local administrators as part of this to enable them handle these cases more precisely.”
She underscored that succession cases have for a long time denied the rightful owners their rightful share, with special cases being women due to their vulnerability.
The county legislature noted that the local administrators were taught on the regulations and laws to follow when they are writing materials for land succession and title deep acquisition.
She explained that some of the letters done in land succession and title deed acquisition cases have ended up in court where wrong decisions have been rendered denying windows, vulnerable, the disabled and orphans the right to own properties.
According to the legislator, some chiefs have been relying on the customs of Luo community to deny widows and girls the right to own land and property.
The Kenyan constitution recognises that children regardless of their gender have the right to own properties from their parents as a birth right.
Ms Mohammed underscored that the initiative by her office, the county and national government will help the vulnerable group to acquire title deeds from succession cases in order to live a decent life.
Legal counsel and Rarieda Member of Parliament Dr Otiende Amollo said that he was willing to share certain experiences to help the local administrators handle succession case.
He said that the community interest and the law in terms of land acquisition and succession was an emotive subject that should be well handed within the framework of law.
Dr Amollo underscored that the role of chiefs in inheritance claims was a key ingredient to providing what is rightfully owed to an individual.
The legislator added that how to resolve land disputes among other land issues should emanating from the legal framework that include; the Land Act, the 2010 Constitution, Marriage Act and the Succession Act.
He explained that the training initiative will enlighten the local administrators on how they should execute their roles when it comes to matters of land issues and succession.
Migori County Land’s Registrar Wilfred Nyaberi said that he will work closely with the office of the Woman Representative and the County government to speed up the processing of title deeds for vulnerable persons.
Mr Nyaberi however, called upon the chiefs to help his office in identifying the vulnerable persons in society acquire the crucial document that can assist them financially.
He urged the local administrators to utilise the education acquired from the judiciary and lands personnel to help them in collecting and processing the succession cases.
The official also disclosed that the lands office had 40,000 title deeds from Nyatike Sub County that have not been corrected from their registries.
He urged the chiefs in Nyatike Sub Counties to identify those that are alive and have not obtained their title deeds to come forward for issuing of the same.
He added that his office will see who best to minimise the land costs especially to the vulnerable group in order for them to acquire their rightful titles.
Mr Kennedy Okong’o, an Advocate of the High Court affirmed that together with other advocates, they are willing to handle pro-bono, the cases involving all vulnerable persons identified in the successions for a seamless processing of their title deeds.
County Executive for Lands, John Kobado acknowledged that women in Migori are the most affected lot in terms of inheritance and succession with only one percent of women owning property, land included in Migori County.
The County Official blamed the Luo customs of men inheritance that has disadvantaged women and widows denying them financial empowerment.
He however, affirmed that the county government will work closely with the national government to solve some of the succession cases especially for vulnerable persons.