Overview

The Department aims at facilitating improvement of resident’s livelihood through efficient administration, equitable access, secure tenure and sustainable management of Land resources.

About

Our Vision: is to expedite excellence in Land Management and Provision of Excellent, Affordable and Quality Housing for sustainable development.

Our Mission: is to facilitate improvement of livelihoods of Kenyans through efficient administration, equitable access, secure tenure, sustainable management of land resource and access to adequate housing.

Mandate

The department draws its mandate from various statutes and policy instruments including but not limited to the constitution, Land Act, Town, Urban and County Planning Acts, Land Survey Act among others.

The docket’s mandate is twofold.

First is to facilitate improvement of livelihoods in the County through efficient administration, equitable access and sustainable management of land and land based resources.

Second is to foster and manage the process of sustainable urbanization and Urban growth in the County.

Directorates

The docket comprises six directorates namely;

1. Lands
2. Survey
3. Housing
4. Physical Planning
5. Urban Development
6. Administration

Administration

Peter Odima, CEC Lands, Housing and Urban Development

 Kennedy Oduor Mbaja,Chief Officer Urban Development & Physical Planning

Vincent Charles - Chief Officer Lands, Survey and Housing 

Mr. David Maende, Director Administration

Mr. Bernard Odhiambo, Director Physical Planning

Mr. Wilfred Nyaberi, Ag. Director Lands

Mr. James Onyinkwa, Director Survey

Mr. Samuel Nyayiemi, Ag. Director Housing

Mr. Jared Chebon, Director Urban Development

Achievements

Achievement/Performance overview of departmental Programmes.

Land is a vital part of the production sector considering that any development occurs in a spatial environment.

The department in conjunction with the various Government agencies will ensure security of tenure for both County and Private Land to spur investment.

County Government land will be secured through acquisition of titles for both reserved public user land and the acquired parcels by the county government.

Housing Programme is among the Big Four Agenda pillars where the department has programmed construction of official Governor’s and Deputy Governor’s residences and government units for office accommodation and maintaining of government quarters.

The department is continuing to offer solid waste, management services in urban centers and markets to keep them tidy. The services are development in nature though they would be well managed by use of hired labourers. Urban centres are being re-organized by putting up modern stalls in towns for lenders.

The department’s proposed programmes under Urban Development are aimed at achieving sustainable urban centres by making towns and markets inclusive, safe and resilient.

The County Spatial Plan will be implemented upon completion. This will be done by the Directorate of Physical Planning and Urban Management. The implementation of the spatial plan will direct the county spatial environment in a bid to control and direct developments in the county.

Management and coordination of the activities of Urban Areas and Towns is also part of the departmental mandate.

This will be done through respective Municipalities and Town Management Committees. The Busia and Malaba Municipality Boards will be facilitated so as to discharge their functions effectively.

The Municipality, Towns and markets in Busia County are hubs for ideas, business, productivity and social development and have enabled communities to live and advance socially and economically.

The department is keen on development of county spatial plan, survey of public land, purchase of public land for county government projects and titling/registration of public land in the Financial Year 2020/2021.

This will also include putting up of Government units for office accommodation and maintenance of existing government quarters, providing land for construction of house units in line with the National Government’s Big Four Agenda on affordable housing.

Cleaning of urban centres and markets is key in promoting good business environment and the department is giving priority under solid waste management Programme. Urban centres are being re-organized by putting up modern stalls in towns for traders.

The department will also upgrade and modernize towns and urban centres through the urban development Programme and putting up modern stalls in towns to make them business hubs thus increasing their productivity.

To undertake these programmes, the 2020/21- 2022/2023 MTEF estimates for the sector are projected to be Ksh 478,841,206.

For the FY 2020/21 Ksh. 151,085,561 has been set aside for the sector. For 2021/22 and 2022/23 the projections are Ksh. 156,074,117 and Ksh. 171,681,529 respectively.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS

Below are the major projects in the department completed under my supervision over the last two years: -

1. Finalization of Busia County Valuation Roll 2017. This Roll is at the department of finance awaiting implementation.
2. Elevation of Busia Town to Municipal status
3. Elevation of Malaba Town to Municipal status
4. Steering the department to quality for World Bank funding under the Kenya Urban support Programme.

KENYA URBAN SUPPORT PROGRAM

The department qualified for funding under the Kenya Urban Support Program.

This Program has two components: - The Urban institutional Grant (UIG) and the Urban Development Program (UDG).

Under the UIG the department received Sh 40million for the last financial year (2019/20) and is expected to receive Sh 9m for this financial year (2020/21).

The CECM who is the Accounting officer of this fund is expected to guide its expenditure as per the World Bank manuals, copies of which are in the office. Under the UDG the department is set to receive Sh 101m per year for the next five years.

The past financial year the department received Sh 101m which was utilized on three projects namely; -

1. Completion of Roadworks, drainage, walkways/parking. The project is awaiting commissioning.
2. Installation of fixed waste collection bins, high mass lights and signage. This project is nearing completion.
3. Supply and deliver of tractors with skip bin trailer and attachment.

However, procurement issues arose in the last project where the then CECM Prof Grephas Opata sought the advice of the County Attorney who provided a professional opinion vide ref. CG/BSA/C. A/LANDS/VOL.1(50).

The advisory opinion of the Attorney notwithstanding, the department recommendedcancellation of the tender for fresh advertisement.