Over 600 families in Naisoya, Narok North Sub-County, received their title deeds on Wednesday, February 24, after waiting for over 45 years.
The families are said to have waited for the documents since 1975 when they were allegedly evicted from the 5,700 hectares of forest land.
The journey to claim the deeds began many years ago under the guidance of a commission set up to oversee boundaries on the forest-land.
The petition by the residents demanding compensation for being kicked out of the land was, however, dismissed.
The Narok County Commissioner Evans Achoki observed that disputes among neighbours had obstructed the process of effectively dividing the land and issuing title deeds.
“If there is any problem regarding deeds, visit the registrar’s office and file a complaint. Title deeds should not be fought over,” said Achoki.
He asked residents to respect land boundaries as demarcated by the land surveyors and the registrar so as to maintain peace.
Narok County land registrar Tom Chepkwesi also noted that some of the individual beneficiaries may have passed on, and asked immediate beneficiaries to visit his office to initiate the transfer of land.
The 7,500-hectare land is adjacent to Maasai Mau forest and less than 30 kilometers far from Narok town.
Chepkwesy warned residents to be cautious of fraudsters who would trade the deeds for money, emphasizing the issuing of the deeds was free of charge.
“This is the first application, so we do not charge you anything, but in case anyone wants to sell the land or give it to his or her children, then they will be forced to incur some cost because they have to pay for the transactions,” he continued.
