Members of the Municipal Boards in Migori County were yesterday inducted on digital land governance and frameworks to enable them amicably solve disputes on land and other natural resources. The members drawn from Migori, Awendo, Rongo and Kehancha towns Boards were trained under a donor funded program’. The program funded by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with European Union (EU) is aimed towards improving access and security of tenure of land and also food and nutrition security. Migori County cluster specialist at the digital land governance program Ms Zembi Odera said that the program aims to improve access and tenure security of land in line with the Kenya’s vision 2030. Odera who was speaking during a three-day training session held in Migori town added that the program is also geared towards improving the livelihoods of the local community together with enhancing sustainable developments in the County. Physical planner for National Lands commission Christopher Gitonga said most of the counties do not have proper land records and the training is aimed to digitalize land records to improve record keeping within Migori county. Photo by Gilbert Onyango ‘This digitization process targets at supporting both national and county governments towards the digitization of land records and all the processes involved in land acquisition,’ said Odera. According to Odera, the training emphasizes on urban land governance, alternative dispute resolution together with the justice system and the capacity building supports for municipals boards in carrying out their duties towards development control and land allocation process. ‘The management and administration of land is a function of both the National and County governments and it is in this regard that FAO is supporting the government in the process towards land records digitization,’ she said. A Physical planner for National Lands Commission (NLC) Mr Christopher Gitonga said most of the counties do not have proper land records and the training is aimed to digitalize land records to improve record keeping within Migori county which is monitored by the National Lands Commission (NLC). ‘NLC is mandated to promote alternative land dispute resolution to avoid too much cases in the court and easier conflict resolution,’ said Gitonga. He added that when it comes to issues of land grabbing, often corrupt land officers have been at the forefront, colluding with others to ensure records are not properly kept and later con unknowing victims lots of money. The officer assured Migori residents of their rightful ownerships to the lands which they acquired legally, noting that no one will dare evict them. ‘We want to assure the people of Migori that the land that they have and acquired legally they will never be disturbed and no evection in any manner, ‘said Gitonga.

Source: Kenya News Agency