TURKANA – Residents of Lorengippi, Nakurio and Lokiriama are a step closer to securing formal recognition of their community land following the commencement of a demarcation and surveying exercise in the three areas.The exercise marks the next phase of the community land registration process and is expected to pave the way for the eventual issuance of community land titles.
The exercise is being undertaken jointly by the Turkana County Government, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, the National Land Commission (NLC) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with support from the Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiative (DLCI) and ACTED.
It follows community sensitization conducted last week, where residents were briefed on the objectives of the exercise, the technical field activities and the importance of their participation. Turkana County Chief Officer for Lands Leah Losuru, who is leading the exercise, said the demarcation and survey are critical in securing community land rights and protecting the interests of residents.
Losuru said the process would also contribute to strengthening peace efforts between communities in Turkana and neighbouring West Pokot County by helping address land-related concerns along the border. She said the exercise will ultimately provide a foundation for the issuance of community land titles, giving communities greater security over their land.
Technical teams from the NLC, FAO and the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning are working alongside county officials to undertake the field activities. Residents are expected to remain actively involved throughout the exercise by providing information, identifying community boundaries and engaging with the technical teams.
The commencement of the exercise is being described as a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen land governance, secure community land tenure and promote peaceful coexistence between communities in the region.
For residents of Lorengippi, Nakurio and Lokiriama, the process represents an important step towards securing their land rights and establishing clearer and more formal community land own
