Thousands of title deeds lie uncollected in Bondo land’s office

Bondo Thursday June 15, 2023

KNA by Anita Otieno

Over 40,000 title deeds for Bondo and Rarieda sub counties in Siaya County lie uncollected at Bondo land’s office.

According to Bondo/Rarieda Principal land registrar Ogise Atuti the title deeds were returned to the lands office from various chiefs’ offices where they had been disbursed for distribution to owners following a presidential directive last year.

"Following former president Uhuru Kenyatta's directive, about 60,000 deeds were given to various chiefs so that the owners could have them but 40,000 were returned after owners failed to show up" he disclosed.

Atuti attributes the failure to collect the documents to fear of loss by owners who prefer to leave the documents stored at lands offices and the fact that some of the owners are deceased.

He further revealed that distrust in polygamous homes and high cost of succession in court could have also contributed to low collection of the documents.

The land registrar encouraged the owners and relatives of the deceased to visit the lands offices and collect the deeds which they can use to uplift themselves economically.

"In case the owner of the deed is deceased the family members can come for the document and do succession for their own benefit" he said.

He on the other hand asked the public in Bondo to utilize the title deeds to acquire bank loans revealing that over the last two years less than 300 people from the two sub counties turn up annually intending to use the document to acquire loans.

"This is quite low compared to other regions which use deeds to get loans. Less than twenty people come to my office a month seeking to use their titles for loans" he observed..

Courtesy ; K. N. A