No new levies - Lands PS Korir dismisses claims on new Land Act approved by President Ruto

In an official statement released Thursday, the Ministry clarified that the new law, signed by President William Ruto on October 15, does not introduce any changes to land ownership regimes or impose new levies, contrary to the misinformation being spread online.

“Our attention has been drawn to malicious and unfounded narratives circulating on social media regarding the Land (Amendment) Act, No. 21 of 2025,” said Generali Nixon Korir, CBS, the Principal Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning. “The information circulating about the conversion of land from freehold to leasehold and the purported introduction of levies is misleading and not factual.”

Korir emphasised that the Act’s primary objective is to enhance government oversight of public land by strengthening the regulation of land transactions and subdivisions.

According to the Ministry, the amendments require the Chief Land Registrar to register all public land allocated to public institutions by the National Land Commission, as well as any land set aside by developers for public purposes in approved development plans.

Additionally, the new law mandates that such registrations be published in the Kenya Gazette to ensure transparency and prevent land grabbing. “This will ensure that land designated for public amenities such as schools and hospitals is protected from irregular allocation or misuse,” the statement noted.

The Ministry urged Kenyans to ignore false information and instead engage in factual discussions based on the actual content of the law. “We urge the public to treat misinformation circulating on social media with the contempt it deserves and to seek accurate information from official sources,” the statement added.