Julius Kiprop
- Foreigners in Kenya will no longer be allowed to hold freehold land title deeds.
- The Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Alice Wahome, announced that foreign land titles would be converted into 99-year leasehold titles.
- Foreigners who hold freehold titles will not be able to use them for transactions, but the government will not take away the land they legally bought.
- The government is focused on ensuring only Kenyans have freehold titles, as stated in the Constitution.
Foreigners in Kenya will no longer be allowed to own freehold land. The Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Alice Wahome, made this announcement during her visit to Muyeye Health Centre in Malindi. She said that any freehold land title deeds owned by foreigners will be converted into 99-year leasehold titles.
New Land Policy for Foreigners
Ms. Wahome stated that foreigners holding freehold titles must surrender them. These titles will be changed to leasehold titles, which can last for up to 99 years. She made it clear that these freehold titles cannot be used for land transactions anymore.
Constitutional Explanation
The Cabinet Secretary explained that Kenya’s Constitution allows only Kenyans to have freehold titles. Foreigners can only hold leasehold titles for up to 99 years. She emphasized that the government has no intention of taking land away from foreigners who legally bought it.
Government Action Against Corruption
Wahome also announced the opening of a new land registry in Malindi for residents of Malindi and Magarini Sub Counties. She warned corrupt land registry officials that they would face legal action. The CS also said that anyone who grabs public land or illegally takes private land would be forced to return it.
The government’s new land policy aims to ensure that only Kenyans own freehold land titles. Foreigners will have to convert their titles into 99-year leasehold titles, and they will no longer be able to use these titles in land transactions. The government is also cracking down on corruption in land registries.
