Land disputes continue to be the leading cause of insecurity in the country, Principal Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Nixon Korir has told Members of Parliament.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, PS Korir was responding to concerns over the recent unrest in the Angata Barrikoi area. The tensions have been linked to a long-standing conflict over a large piece of land in the region.
Korir said the Ministry had formed a multi-agency task force to deal with land fraud and prevent similar conflicts across the country. He explained that the disputed land lies within Parcel No. Transmara/Moyoi/2, commonly known as Kailolong.
The land, which covers about 2,561 hectares, borders the Angata Barrikoi Registration Section (occupied mainly by the Kipsigis community), the Republic of Tanzania, and Gwitembe in Kuria East Constituency, Migori County.
According to the PS, the land was officially registered on 18th September 1996 under the Angata Barrikoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society. However, the cooperative has never taken physical possession of the land.
“Instead, the society informally leased the land to members of nearby communities — the Kipsigis from Angata Barrikoi and the Kuria from Gwitembe — for farming purposes. Neither group lives on the land, but tensions rise during the planting season as both communities compete for access,” Korir explained.
He urged the affected groups to formalise their land lease agreements by registering them with the Land Registrar in Kilgoris, saying this would help prevent future disputes.
When committee members asked whether any individuals from the conflicting communities had been issued with title deeds, PS Korir confirmed that official records still list the Angata Barrikoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society as the sole owner of the parcel.
“The titles allegedly being held by some individuals are not valid. They did not come from the Ministry and cannot be recognised,” he said.
Korir concluded by stating that while the Ministry is working on the legal and administrative aspects of the dispute, the real issue is political. He called on local leaders to step in, promote dialogue, and help foster peaceful co-existence among the communities.
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