Kajiado land rates likely to increase as county launches new spatial plan

Kajiado county leaders led by Governor Joseph ole Lenku hold a dammy of the Spatial plan that was launched on July 21, 2023. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Land buyers will be forced to dig deeper in their pockets to secure a parcel of land within Kajiado County.

This follows the launch of a new spatial plan that limits land owners from subdividing the usual 50x100 plots.

Speaking during the launch of the 454-page document, Governor Joseph Ole Lenku said with the spatial plan in place, his administration will only allow land owners to subdivide their land from 100 x 100 plots to acres.

He said the decision will help the county government achieve a major charge by introducing green spaces at the local level.

''By moving away from the common subdivision of 50 x 100 plots into100 x 100 plots and over, we will be in line with our plan to set aside 10 per cent of our land to the tree cover revolution," said Lenku.

Currently, 50 x 100 plots costs on average of Sh1.5 million within urban areas and at least Sh0.5 million in remote areas respectively.

The prices however differ depending on the area and location of the parcel of land.

Lenku said the 50 x 100 subdivisions had turned the county's urban settlement into small slums.

He said the spatial plan is therefore, a dream come true and a great milestone for the people of Kajiado and the entire Nation at large.

''By its proximity to the Capital City, Nairobi, and being part of the larger metropolis fraternity, Kajiado county is strategically placed to offer room for expansion of a city that is bursting at the seams over a rapid population explosion,'' said Lenku.

According to him, as a metropolitan county growing at a rate of 5.5 per cent in population, the county contributes significantly to accommodating population growth within the city.

Lenku said Kajido County has for years been threatened by forces of the land transformation having in the recent past witnessed increased human wildlife conflicts that has led to loss of livestock, wildlife and humans.

''Through this programme, our urban areas will receive additional resources from the county government kit to complement the funding received from development partners," he said.

To him, this shall go a long way in delivering dignity affirming amenities to improve the face of urban centres and indeed make them live to the billing of engines of Kajiado's economic development.

The County Executive Committee member for lands and physical planning Hamilton Parseina said activities driven by the desire to create settlements, expansion of towns, clearing of land for crop farming and other economic activities have left major scars on the landscape.

''To achieve our vision of a transformed and sustainable Kajiado we have had to develop a mechanism through which our focus would be on strategies that will make our county more prosperous now and in the future'' said Parseina.

The CEC said going by the population threshold defined by the Urban Areas and Cities Act, there are towns within the county that will soon be elevated to municipal status.

''We have commenced an evaluation exercise to ascertain requisite thresholds that are essential in establishing municipalities. Upon completion of this exercise, they shall be gazetted subject to approval as granted in the Urban Areas and Cities Act 2011,''he added.

Former Senator Lenny Kivuti who is the project director , appealed to the county government to move swiftly and implement the document.