Tom Lolosoli: PRIVATE, TRUSTLAND, GROUP RANCHES AND UNADJUDICATED SECTION IN SAMBURU EAST – PART I

Posted on March 29, 2010 by

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Tom Lolosoli: PRIVATE, TRUST-LAND, GROUP RANCHES AND UN ADJUDICATED SECTION IN SAMBURU EAST – PART I
For many people residing in Nairobi, it is amazing to know how big rural constituencies are compared to urban ones. Samburu East constituency is about 5 times bigger compared to Nairobi province which in itself has eight constituencies.

Land in Samburu East is still not a big issue to locals due to their low population compared with the vast land available. The climate in Samburu East is hot and dry and the land is generally not arable. That is why most of the constituents practice livestock keeping and small scale commercial businesses in trading centers. There is no cited news of anyone practicing agriculture for commercial purposes and if any, may be in future through irrigation schemes.

Currently, the only commercial use land in Samburu East can be put in, is conservation and this normally requires huge tracks of land. Sub dividing adjudicated group ranch land to locals in small pieces is therefore not commercially viable given the remoteness and aridity of the land. That is why group ranches are formed and native members of the community are registered to own the available land communally and not individually.

Private lands that are owned by individuals, group of persons (e.g. youth and women groups) and institutions (e.g. churches and schools) are mostly found in trading centers and residential areas surrounding the centers.

The following will be the subjects of this document: -

1. Private land – This is land owned by individuals, group of persons (e.g. youth and women groups), institutions (e.g. churches and schools) and can be commercial plots in trading centers or residential plots in villages or estates.

2. Group ranch – As per the Samburu East situation, this is a vast land outside the trading centers and residential areas and it is communally owned. All native residents of Samburu East belongs to one of the existing group ranches

3. Trust land – This is land that belongs to nobody or group of persons but within the district. Any land that does not belong to any entity is therefore automatically under the local authority of that area in this case for Samburu East, unadjudicated land is under the Samburu county Council (SCC).

1. PRIVATE LAND

As described above, a private land is owned by individual, group of persons (e.g. youth group) and institutions (e.g. churches and schools). This land can be a commercial plot within the bounds of town size set by county council or residential out of the bounds set for town by the council.

Commercial plots are for building business premises in the local trading centers and residential plots are for building houses where one lives with the family. The size of the town is determined by council and any land that falls within that bound is therefore categorized as commercial and their land fees are generally higher than that of residential. Currently a 400 X 100 fts goes for Kshs. 6000/- if only you buy from the county council and can be higher if you buy from an individual depending with your negotiations.

Currently commercial plots are up for grabs in Samburu East especially in Archer’s Post because of the excitement brought about by tarmac road and electricity connection to the national grid as well as nearby tourism facilities such as Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs game reserve and conservancies like Kalama and Westgate. The same for Wamba town citing its growth. These tides of development will sky rocket land fees and Samburu Teachers Sacco have already bought 42 pieces of commercial plots in Archer’s will be selling one piece at Kshs. 80,000.

In Samburu East, private lands have been demarcated in Lodung’o Kwe, Wamba and Archer’s town only as well as nearby residential areas about an average of 2kms radius from town centers. Other centers are still awaiting the council surveyor to reach them and start land demarcation to individuals in places they have already settled. It is sad that not a lot have been done by council to demarcate land in these centers like for example in Archer’s, Lorubae is still in the waiting list and I guess the same for many other areas surrounding Wamba town and its nearby residential areas. Sere-Olipi, Ndonyo Wasin, Nkilai and many more other places are still under trusland legally until demarcation of plots are carried out and allotment letters issued to residents.

Unfortunately, none of Samburu East residents has title deeds but allotment letters. In 2006, the debate in council was initiated to present Samburu East residents with title deeds but there is good news that this is about to happen any time soon.

2. GROUP RANCHES

As described above, as per the Samburu East situation Group ranch is a vast land outside the trading centers and residential areas and it is communally owned. All native residents of Samburu East belong to one of the existing group ranches.

This is where all the confusion of land ownership, benefits and investments comes in. At this stage I am quite sure for those who had no idea about this completely, have now seen some light. So there is no need to paraphrase more details here.

To start with, we should list the number of group ranches in Samburu East

1. Gir gir group ranch
2. Ngutuk O’Ngiron group ranch
3. Namunyak group ranch (Sebashe and sarara group ranch)
4. Losesia group ranch
5. Lodung’o Kwe/Ngaroni group ranch

2.1 GIR GIR GROUP RANCH

RESEARCH UNDERWAY. TO BE CONTINUED . . .

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