{"id":30873,"date":"2026-07-16T12:45:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/?p=30873"},"modified":"2026-07-16T12:45:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:45:09","slug":"usonga-and-west-alego-residents-push-for-fair-land-ownership-and-better-planning-in-draft-siaya-land-management-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/usonga-and-west-alego-residents-push-for-fair-land-ownership-and-better-planning-in-draft-siaya-land-management-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Usonga and West Alego Residents Push for Fair Land Ownership and Better Planning in Draft Siaya Land Management Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Judith Achieng Obondo<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Residents of Usonga and West Alego wards have proposed far-reaching changes to the Draft Siaya County Land Management Policy, calling for stronger protection of land rights, better physical planning, improved land administration, and measures to curb persistent land disputes.<\/p>\n

The proposals were made during a public participation forum held by the County Government of Siaya in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Residents were given an opportunity to shape the county\u2019s land management framework.<\/p>\n

One of the major concerns raised was the conflict between customary practices, the Constitution, and the Marriage Act regarding land inheritance. Participants urged the county to provide clear policy guidelines that would harmonize these laws to reduce inheritance disputes while safeguarding the rights of all family members.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s land ownership also featured prominently in the discussions. Residents called for the policy to address cases of double land ownership and ensure that women enjoy equal access to and ownership of land without discrimination. They noted that balancing land ownership rights is essential for promoting social justice and sustainable development.<\/p>\n

Participants further proposed the implementation of village-level land administration structures to strengthen local governance and create an effective mechanism for resolving land conflicts before they escalate. They observed that involving village-level leadership would ease pressure on existing institutions while promoting peaceful settlement of disputes.<\/p>\n

Urban planning was another key issue. Residents urged the county government to plan adequately for emerging and upcoming trading centres by setting aside land for public utilities and future development. They also expressed concern over individuals occupying county land \u2014 particularly in Usonga Ward \u2014 without paying land rates, and called for the establishment of an efficient system to improve revenue collection.<\/p>\n

The forum also highlighted the need to regulate activities carried out along road reserves. Residents questioned the role of land surveyors in protecting public land and preventing encroachment, while also raising concerns about environmental conservation. They warned against the pollution of water sources, noting that clean water remains essential for human consumption and community well-being.<\/p>\n

\"\"On land administration, participants emphasized the importance of proper land subdivision and consultation between landowners before parceling land. They said accurate land records and proper surveys would minimize boundary conflicts and provide certainty in land ownership.<\/p>\n

To tackle the increasing number of land disputes, residents appealed to the county government to subsidize survey costs, arguing that many families cannot afford professional survey services. They also recommended that licensed surveyors be deployed to resolve disputes and verify boundaries before conflicts become prolonged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Judith Achieng Obondo Residents of Usonga and West Alego wards have proposed far-reaching changes to the Draft Siaya County Land Management Policy, calling for stronger protection of land rights, better physical planning, improved land administration, and measures to curb persistent land disputes. The proposals were made during a public participation forum held by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":30874,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30873"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30873\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siaya.go.ke\/siaya\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}