The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands and Physical Planning on Tuesday reviewed revenue and expenditure estimates presented by the State Department for the 2026/27 financial year.
During the session chaired by North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko, Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir addressed budget allocations, challenges in implementing land sector projects, and reforms intended to enhance land administration and settlement countrywide.
Committee members raised concerns about the halted construction of land registries in multiple regions.
Principal Secretary Korir informed the Committee that the initiatives receive full funding through Appropriations-in-Aid (AIA), but highlighted that varying contract terms across different registries have caused implementation delays. He mentioned that some contracts have already lapsed, potentially subjecting the government to penalties and accumulated interest charges.
The Committee examined advancements in digitalizing land registries, a reform the PS deemed essential but hindered by security verification processes and the lack of a complete cadaster system.
These setbacks, he explained, have impeded access to land records and slowed property transactions, negatively impacting business operations.
According to the proposed budget, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning will receive a development budget of Sh10.1 billion, Sh5.3 billion more than the 2026 Budget Policy Statement limit.
This allocation comprises Sh1 billion from the World Bank under the Kenya Housing Finance, Land and Sustainable Investment Project.
The Committee learned that recurrent spending for the National Land Commission will decrease by Sh2.37 billion from the 2025/26 approved estimates.
The most substantial reductions were in Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution and Settlement of Historical Land Injustices, while Headquarters Administration Services saw the largest increase of Sh128 million.
For compulsory land acquisition, Sh435 million has been appropriated, with Sh300 million allocated for the Nairobi Eastern Bypass and Sh135 million for the Nairobi Southern Bypass.
Settlement programs for the landless received the highest funding at Sh8.22 billion.
This funding covers Sh1.72 billion for acquiring Kedong Ranch land, Sh5 billion for settlement initiatives at the Coast, and Sh1.49 billion for other settlement efforts throughout the nation.
The Committee was invited to Mombasa for the distribution of title deeds and the commencement of new settlement schemes designed to address historical land conflicts in the coastal area.
President William Ruto will preside over a high-level discussion concerning historical land injustices and absentee landlord issues at the Coast.
Lawmakers observed that certain absent landowners have indicated a readiness to return land to local communities, a step anticipated to resolve long-standing disputes impacting thousands of households.