The long-running Samburet land dispute in Kericho County has taken a new turn after the government told Parliament that subdivision of the contested property has been completed and preparations for titling are underway.
Lands Principal Secretary Generali Nixon Korir told the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands on Tuesday that L.R. No. 25005, Kericho/Samburet, had been subdivided and new parcel numbers issued as the government moves towards settling beneficiaries.
Korir said the subdivision was undertaken under an approved scheme from the Kericho County Government, with the next stage being preparation of the Registry Index Map (RIM).
“The subdivision was approved vide a letter, Ref; CT46/VOL.86/157 of 23rd July, 2026 and new numbers Cheboswan/Cheymen Block 1/3-539 were issued.”
He said the mapping exercise would pave the way for the titling process, but beneficiaries would first have to be identified and allotment letters issued.
“We are in the process of preparing the Registry Index Map (RIM). Once the RIM is finalized, the titling process will begin.”
The development follows a petition presented to Parliament in June by residents of Kericho, including members of the Chang Kelek Kipsigis Ogiek community, who are seeking government intervention over what they describe as historical land injustices.
The petition involves about 1,500 members of the community who say they have historical ties to the area and have experienced displacement and loss of land over generations.
The petitioners want Parliament to investigate the historical injustices, facilitate conversion of the parcel from public land to community land for human settlement and ensure valid title documents are issued.
Kipkelion East MP Joseph Cherorot, whose constituency covers the area, previously told the House that the dispute had persisted for years, with different groups claiming ownership of the same parcel. He called for investigations involving both the Lands Committee and the Public Petitions Committee.
However, the proposed settlement and titling process faces a separate question over the legal status of the land.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry has maintained that L.R. No. 25005 remains part of the South Western Mau public forest because the statutory process required to alter the forest boundary was not completed.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa told the Lands Committee earlier this month that gazetting an intention to alter the boundary did not, on its own, change the legal status of the forest.
The conflicting government positions have placed the legal and administrative history of Samburet at the centre of the dispute, as residents await clarity on whether the ongoing subdivision will ultimately lead to secure tenure.
The Lands Department's appearance before the committee also covered other disputed properties, including land on Lenana Road in Nairobi, L.R. No. 1468 in Tindiret, the Diani Complex in Kwale and Kipini Community land in Tana River.
The cases highlighted challenges arising from disputed transfers, expired leases, historical claims, survey records and court proceedings.
For Samburet residents, the immediate process now depends on completion of the RIM, identification of beneficiaries and issuance of the required allotment letters before titles can be processed.