Yala: Need to review land act

BANKS will not allow land owned by a group to be used as a security for loans, thus there is a need for review of Land Conversion Act, the national land summit was told last Friday.
“It is clear from our meetings with the stakeholders that freehold land (land commonly owned) are not bankable,” Dr Charles Yala said.
“Banks do not want to have anything to do with it.”
He was representing the chief commissioner of the Land Titles Commission.
“It is proposed, for the benefit of the landowners, that the Land Conversion Act of 1964 be looked at and changes done or if necessary the act be removed to allow for a workable system,” he said.
Freehold land is owned by a clan or tribe and not an individual which makes it unbankable.
Land meetings held around the country this year found that there was an increase in cases of freehold land being abused such as people buying pieces of customary land from a few landowners and not
all.
Landowners want to use their customary land to make a living.
For some, it is their only resource.