New Malindi Land Registry Brings Hope to Kilifi Landowners

By Ben Okweingoti 

It was a sigh of relief for thousands of landowners and residents in Malindi and Magarini sub-counties after Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome officially opened the long-awaited Malindi Land Registry on Thursday, promising faster and more accessible services in a region historically plagued by land injustices.

The new facility, which will serve Malindi and Magarini, is expected to revolutionize land service delivery, ending decades of costly trips to far-flung land offices in Kilifi, Mombasa, and Nairobi.

Speaking at the launch, CS Wahome was flanked by Kilifi Governor Gideon Mung’aro, County Commissioner Josephat Biwott, Malindi MP Amina Mnyazi, and Kilifi legislators Paul Katana (Kaloleni), Ken Chonga (Kilifi South), and Owen Baya (Kilifi North).

Wahome made a passionate appeal to residents to collect more than 33,000 unclaimed title deeds, now available within their locality.

“Now that the titles are near you, please come pick them. Take care of your titles and don’t sell land carelessly. Titles are not safer in land offices than in your hands,” she urged.

She revealed that 7,730 title deeds are ready for immediate issuance from the new registry, including 5,881 for Weru Group Ranch, 1,363 for Mwele Simakeni, and 486 for Msabaha.

In a bid to accelerate land regularization, Wahome disclosed that she has formally requested the Attorney General and National Treasury to waive interest on title deed payments through a Cabinet memo. She said landowners must clear dues to receive their titles, noting that outstanding land penalties total Sh6 billion nationwide.

“Payment must be made for titles, but I have written to waive the interest because many Kenyans are unable to pay due to accumulated fines,” she explained.

The CS also reaffirmed the government’s stance on foreign land ownership, stating that foreign nationals are only entitled to 99-year leaseholds, not freehold land. She urged foreigners holding inappropriate titles to return them for proper conversion.

“No foreigner is allowed to own freehold titles. Those with such titles should return them for conversion,” she said firmly.

Wahome vowed to dismantle entrenched land cartels in the region, warning against “professional squatters” who move from one adjudication scheme to another to seek repeated compensation.

“This region is notorious with professional squatters — permanent and pensionable. We now have a database to identify and eliminate such practices,” she said.

She emphasized the importance of land in unlocking development, highlighting the planned expansion of Malindi Airport as a key regional priority.

Currently, Kilifi County has 40 registered adjudication sections with over 178,000 registered parcels and six ongoing adjudication schemes including Kibokoni, Chakama Phase 3, Adu Kamale Pumwani Phase 3, Adu Chamali, and Wakala. 

Governor Mung’aro welcomed the opening of the registry and backed efforts to digitize land records to weed out repeat compensation claims.

“We now have a system where beneficiaries of one scheme will not access another. Their names will be flagged in the digital system,” he said.

MP Amina Mnyazi hailed the registry as a major milestone in easing residents’ burdens.

“This office is a relief. People were spending a lot of money traveling to other towns to resolve land matters. Now, those days are gone,” she said.

Kilifi North MP Owen Baya termed the facility a “game-changer” that will shut down land brokers and fraudsters who have long exploited the community’s difficulties in accessing land services.

Kilifi County has endured decades of land-related injustices, including land grabbing, evictions, and bloody disputes. The new registry marks a critical step toward resolving these long-standing issues and restoring confidence among landowners.

“Land is central to development and dignity. This registry is not just a building — it is hope for justice and economic empowerment,” Wahome concluded.