- Land loan waivers offer relief, but historical debts continue to worry families holding decades-old title deeds.
- The Ministry faces calls to verify repayment records and resolve disputed settlement loans.
- Proposed reforms include clearer complaints procedures, parliamentary scrutiny and extended repayment deadlines where necessary.
The Ministry of Lands’ decision to waive interest and penalties on Land Settlement Fund loans offers relief to thousands of Kenyans. However, the government must answer a fundamental question: why are families facing historical settlement debts decades after acquiring land and receiving title deeds?
In a troubling development, some landowners reportedly received loan waiver letters in October despite holding valid title deeds issued decades ago through cooperative societies and former district authorities, now under county jurisdictions. Many say they cleared their loans through cooperative societies more than 50 years ago. The original beneficiaries have since died, leaving their sons and grandsons as custodians of the land and its title documents.
These families argue that if any debts remain outstanding, the Ministry should first establish whether the liabilities belong to the original settlement arrangements, the cooperative societies that facilitated ownership or the relevant government agencies. Lawful landowners should not be subjected to fresh financial uncertainty without documentary evidence of what they owe.
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According to the government, the relief covers 520 settlement schemes across 26 counties, involving a loan portfolio valued at Ksh12.3 billion. Beneficiaries must settle their outstanding principal within the grace period ending February 14, 2027.
The waiver is welcome, but it cannot replace lasting land reforms. The Ministry should urgently liaise with the State Department responsible for cooperatives, verify historical repayment records and extend the grace period where administrative delays prevent fair resolution. It must also establish accessible complaints hotlines and publish clear procedures for disputing alleged debts.
Parliament should scrutinise the programme, while relevant oversight agencies investigate discrepancies in settlement records.
Land ownership must be protected by transparent institutions, not undermined by unexplained debts. Kenyans deserve secure title deeds, accountability and justice, not another generation trapped in bureaucratic uncertainty.
By Yabesh Onwonga
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