Coast residents sleep on allotment letters-lobbyists

A good number of Kenyans have failed to act on their allotment letters thus gravitating the land question.

Coast civil society land lobby groups said the matter is rife in the coast region.

According to the CSOs, the challenge has contributed to the historical land injustices witnessed in the region.

“It is evident that dozens of residents in this region have allotment letters. Unfortunately, they failed to act on the documents,” John Paul Obonyo, a Haki Yetu Organisation lands and governance officer, revealed to Jumuiya News.

He added “Allotment letters have an expiry date. Should someone fail to honour and pay the dues, someone else will act on it.”

Obonyo further wants the county government to regularize informal settlements saying they account for a bigger percentage of housing.

 “There is a need for Kenyans to understand land and housing matters. The county should also ascent the county land management bill,” said the lobbyist.

He wants the government to ensure Kenyans are relocated to other areas instead of evicting them forcefully.

Meanwhile, Najib Shamsan, a member of the Kenya Land Alliance said the government can transfer the letter to a willing Kenyan should one fail to honour it.

Mr. Shamsan however wants allotment bearers to visit lands department offices to determine the validity of the document.

“It is your responsibility to pay the government its dues. Nothing comes without charges. Pay so that you can claim it,”

The activist accused the regional leadership of failing to formulate policies addressing the land question in the region.

At the same time, Juhudi Community Centre executive director Simon Katee wants Coast lobby groups to sensitize Kenyans on the importance of the document.

According to him, most people are not conversant with the validity of the allotment letter.

He however cites historical land injustices as a challenge in solving the land question in the Coast region.

“Some of the key land reports outline all these. We have a whole chapter of the land policies in this region,” noted Katee.