The government has started the process of securing the land occupied by Martin Luther Primary School in Nairobi while clearing delays that have held back ownership documents for more than 200 plots in Marsabit County, Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has told the Senate.
Wahome said the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development had taken steps to ensure the school’s occupation is protected through formal documentation, even as it moves to complete the processing of leases for beneficiaries of plots along Nyayo Road in Marsabit.
The Cabinet Secretary appeared before the Senate on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, where she responded to questions raised by Senators Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi), Mohamed Chute (Marsabit) and Hamida Kibwana (Nominated) on various land ownership concerns.
The Nairobi school land issue centred on Land Reference Number 209/4401, where Martin Luther Primary School sits in Makadara Constituency.
Wahome told Senators that the parcel had been under the control of the former City Council of Nairobi for decades and was registered in its name on March 23, 1956, under a 99-year lease beginning November 1, 1953.
The property measures approximately 104.5 acres, equivalent to 42.31 hectares.
She explained that after approval was granted in September 1957, the land was subdivided, with the City Council responsible for planning, surveying and allocating the resulting plots.
According to the CS, the Ministry had not received any official complaints regarding encroachment on the school land but advised the school administration to submit any concerns for consideration.
To strengthen the school’s ownership claim, Wahome said the Ministry conducted a survey and created a new parcel, Nairobi/Block 56/853, measuring about 3.418 hectares or 8.44 acres.
She added that a lease had been prepared in favour of Nairobi City County Government, which will hold the land in trust for the school.
“The lease document has been forwarded to the County Secretary, Nairobi City County Government, for execution and verification, after which my Ministry shall proceed to issue a certificate of title,” she said.
The Cabinet Secretary also provided an update on the delayed issuance of ownership documents for plots in Marsabit County, where beneficiaries have been waiting for leases to be finalised.
She told the Senate that the Ministry received Letters of Allotment from the National Land Commission for about 214 plots numbered 570–686 along Nyayo Road and opened files for lease processing.
Wahome said the allotment letters were issued in 2018, but beneficiaries completed the required payments in 2024.
She explained that Letters of Allotment are only offers subject to specific conditions, including acceptance and payment within the required period, and do not automatically grant ownership rights.
The Ministry later processed survey details, carried out quality checks, verified survey plans and amended the relevant Registry Index Maps before moving forward with lease preparation.
Wahome said leases for 204 plots had already been processed and collected by the Land Registrar responsible for Isiolo and Marsabit counties.
The documents are currently undergoing execution, verification and registration before Certificates of Lease can be issued to beneficiaries.
“My Ministry is also working with officials of the County Government of Marsabit to provide the missing details for the remaining plots in order to have all the leases processed,” Wahome revealed.
Meanwhile, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi approved Wahome’s request to defer Senator Hamida Kibwana’s question to allow the Cabinet Secretary more time to prepare a comprehensive response.
The developments come as the government continues efforts to address long-standing land ownership concerns and improve the processing of ownership documents across different parts of the country.