Land Consolidation Act
Land Consolidation Act
Land Consolidation Act
CHAPTER 283
CHAPTER 283
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CHAPTER 283
PART I – PRELIMINARY
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Land Consolidation Act.
[L.N. 589/1960, First Sch., Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch., Act No. 35 of 1968, First Sch.]
2. Application
(1) Whenever at the request of a local authority it appears expedient to the
Minister that the ascertainment of rights and interests in, and the consolidation of,
and the registration of title to, any area of Trust land (other than land to which the
Land Adjudication Act (Cap. 284) applies) should be carried out, the Minister may,
by order direct that this Act shall apply to such area of Trust land as is specified
in the order, and upon publication of such order this Act shall apply to such area
accordingly:
Provided that if, on the date on which this Act is enacted, the Native Land Tenure
Rules, 1956 (L.N. 452/1956) (now revoked), apply to any area of the special areas,
then, subject to the provisions of section 29(1), or of section 33(7), of this Act, as
the case may require, this Act shall apply to such area.
(2) Whenever at the request of a local authority it appears expedient to the
Minister that the registration of title to any land in the special areas, being land
which has been set apart under and in accordance with the provisions of sections
115, 116, 117 and 118 of the Constitution, or is deemed to have been set apart
by virtue of the provisions of the said Act, should be effected, the Minister may,
by order, direct that this Act shall apply to such area of the special areas as is
specified in the order, being an area wholly comprising land so set apart or deemed
to have been set apart, and upon publication of such order this Act shall apply to
such area accordingly.
(3) When any area of land has been added to the special areas under the Trust
Land Act and it appears expedient to the Minister that registration of title to any
land in such area should be effected, the Minister may, by order, direct that this Act
shall apply to such area of the special areas, and upon publication of such order
this Act, other than Part II, shall apply to such area accordingly.
[L.N. 142/1963, Sch., L.N. 66/1964, Act No. 35 of 1968, First Sch.]
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4. Interpretation
In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—
“adjudication area” means an area to which this Act has been applied
under section 2(1) of this Act;
“Adjudication Officer” means an Adjudication Officer appointed under
section 6 of this Act;
“Adjudication Register” means an Adjudication Register completed under
section 24 of this Act;
“adjudication section” means an adjudication section declared under
section 7 of this Act;
“adverse possession”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“African court”deleted by Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.;
“Arbitration Board” means an Arbitration Board formed under section 10
of this Act;
“Assistant Registrar”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“borrower”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“certificate of title”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“charge” means a charge created on land for the purpose of securing the
payment of money or money’s worth or the fulfilment of any condition, and
includes a subcharge;
“Committee” means a Committee appointed under section 9 of this Act;
“court”, save as is otherwise expressly provided, means the Supreme Court
or a subordinate court held by a Resident Magistrate;
“dealing”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“Demarcation Officer” means a Demarcation Officer appointed under
section 6 of this Act;
“Demarcation Plan” means a Demarcation Plan prepared under section
23 of this Act;
“document” includes any deed, judgment, decree, order or other
instrument in writing requiring or capable of registration under this Act;
“guardian” means any person responsible (whether under native law and
custom or otherwise) for protecting the interests of any person who is under a
disability, whether by reason of age, unsoundness of mind or any other cause;
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“land” includes land covered with water, any estate or interest in land
other than a charge, all things growing thereon and buildings and other things
permanently affixed thereto;
“lease”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“lender”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“lessee”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“lessor”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“proprietor”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“Record of Existing Rights” means a Record of Existing Rights prepared
under section 15 of this Act;
“Recording Officer” means a Recording Officer appointed under section
6 of this Act.
“the Register”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“the Registrar”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“registration district”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“registration section”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“the Registry”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“the Registry Map”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“transfer”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.;
“transmission”deleted by Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.
[Act No. 15 of 1961, Sch., Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch., Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
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6. Officers
(1) The Minister may appoint any fit and proper person to be Adjudication
Officer for each adjudication area, and the Adjudication Officer may appoint such
Demarcation Officers and Recording Officers as may be necessary for carrying out
the adjudication, demarcation and registration of the adjudication area.
(2) The Adjudication Officer shall exercise general control and supervision
over the adjudication and registration of the adjudication area and may issue such
general or special directions as he thinks necessary to the officers appointed by
him under subsection (1) of this section.
(3) The Adjudication Officer may exercise all or any of the powers given under
this Act to officers appointed by him.
7. Adjudication sections
(1) Within each adjudication area the Adjudication Officer may, by notice,
declare one or more adjudication sections.
(2) In each such notice the Adjudication Officer—
(a) shall specify as nearly as possible the situation and limits of each
adjudication section;
(b) shall declare that rights and interests in land within the adjudication
section will be ascertained and recorded in accordance with the
provisions of this Part;
(c) shall fix a period, which shall not be less than six months, within which
any individual person claiming any right or interest in any land within
the adjudication section is required to present his claim thereto to the
Committee, either in person or by representation according to African
customary law; and
(d) may require any individual person claiming to be a landowner to point
out the boundaries of the land of which he claims to be the owner to
such person, in such manner and before such date as the Adjudication
Officer shall specify.
[Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
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(3) Nothing in the foregoing provisions of this section shall prevent the
enforcement or execution of any final order or decision given or made in any
proceedings in respect of any land in an adjudication area, where such order or
decision is not the subject of a pending appeal at the time of the application of this
Act to such land.
(4) A certificate signed by an Adjudication Officer certifying any parcel of land
to be, or to have become on a specified date, land within an adjudication area shall
be conclusive evidence that the land is such land.
(5) Every certificate purporting to be signed by an Adjudication Officer shall be
received in evidence and be deemed to be so signed without further proof, unless
the contrary is shown.
[Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
9. Committee
(1) The Adjudication Officer within whose district an adjudication section is
situate shall appoint a Committee for each adjudication section from amongst
persons resident in the adjudication section and each Committee shall consist of
not less than twenty-five members.
(2) The Adjudication Officer shall appoint an executive officer for each
Committee within the district and such executive officer shall attend, and may
speak, at any meeting of the Committee, but shall not vote.
[L.N. 66/1964, s. 6.]
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soon as practicable after the commencement thereof, disclose the fact and shall
not take part in the consideration or discussion of, or vote on any question with
respect to, the determination of that claim.
(2) Each Committee and Arbitration Board shall elect one of its members to
be chairman thereof, who shall preside at all meetings at which he is present; and
if at any meeting the chairman is absent, the members present shall elect one of
themselves to preside at that meeting.
(a) The quorum of a Committee or of an Arbitration Board, where the total
number of members thereof is an even number, shall be one-half of
that number, and, where the total number of members thereof is an
uneven number, shall be one-half of the even number that is greater
than that number by one.
(b) In the event of an equality of votes the chairman or other member
presiding shall have a casting as well as an original vote.
(4) Any decision of a Committee or of an Arbitration Board shall be signified in
writing and signed by the chairman or executive officer thereof.
(5) Neither a Committee nor an Arbitration Board shall be disqualified for the
transaction of business by reason of any vacancy amongst the members thereof;
and any proceedings therein shall be valid, notwithstanding that some person, who
was not entitled to do so, took part in the proceedings.
(a) If any person fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) of
this section, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding six months.
(b) A prosecution for an offence under this section shall not be instituted
except with the consent of the Attorney-General.
15. Record of Existing Rights
(1) There shall be prepared in respect of each adjudication section and in
accordance with the findings of the Committee or Arbitration Board, as the case
may be, a Record of Existing Rights which shall be in three parts.
(2) The executive officer of the Committee shall enter or cause to be entered
in Part I of the Record of Existing Rights—
(a) the name and description of every person (hereafter in this Part
referred to as a land owner) whose right, in the opinion of the
Committee or Arbitration Board, should be recognized as ownership,
together with a description or other sufficient identification and the
approximate area of every parcel of land to which he is entitled;
(b) any interest, lease, right of occupation, charge or other encumbrance
affecting the land, whether by virtue of African customary law or
otherwise, together with the name and description of every person
entitled to the benefit thereof;
(c) any restriction on the power of the landowner or of any such person
to deal with the land or his interest, lease, right of occupation, charge
or encumbrance;
(d) in the case of any landowner or of any such person who is under
a disability, whether by reason of age, unsoundness of mind or
otherwise, the name of his guardian.
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(3) The executive officer of the Committee shall enter or cause to be entered in
Part II of the Record of Existing Rights a description or other sufficient identification,
together with the approximate area, of each parcel of land which is not entered
in Part I of the Record and which has not been set apart in accordance with the
provisions of sections 208 and 209 of the Constitution and shall record the county
council as the owner thereof, subject to any right of user or other limitation (if any)
arising under African customary law or imposed under or by virtue of any written
law, particulars of which shall be entered in the Record.
(4) The Adjudication Officer shall enter or cause to be entered in Part III of the
Record of Existing Rights—
(a) a description or other sufficient identification and the approximate
area of any land which has been set apart or is deemed to have been
set apart under and in accordance with the provisions of sections 115,
116, 117 and 118 of the Constitution;
(b) the purpose of such setting apart;
(c) the number and year of the notice in the Gazette setting such land
apart,
and shall record the Government, the region or the county council as the case
may be as the owner thereof, subject to such setting apart.
[L.N. 66/1964, s. 8, Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
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(2) Any objection referred to a Committee under subsection (1) of this section
shall be considered by the Committee and the Committee shall make a finding
thereon; every such finding shall be submitted to the Adjudication Officer.
(3) The Adjudication Officer, to whom an objection or the finding of a Committee
is submitted under subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section (as the case
may be) shall, in the case of an objection so submitted to him, consider the matter
with the Arbitration Board and, after making such further inquiries as he may think
fit, determine the matter; and shall, in the case of a finding so submitted to him,
either—
(a) confirm the finding of the Committee; or
(b) consider the matter with the Arbitration Board and, after making such
further inquiries as he may think fit, determine the matter.
19. Decision of Adjudication Officer to be final
Any confirmation or determination of an Adjudication Officer made under section
18 of this Act shall be final and shall be notified in writing, signed by the Adjudication
Officer, to the executive officer of the Committee concerned, who shall make such
alteration, if any, as may be required in the Record of Existing Rights to give effect
to such confirmation or determination.
20. Record of Existing Rights to be final
After the expiry of sixty days from the date mentioned in section 17, or on the
date upon which all alterations to the Record of Existing Rights have been made
in accordance with section 19, of this Act, whichever is the later, the Record shall
be deemed to be a true and complete record of all existing rights and interests in
the adjudication section to which the Record relates:
Provided that no inaccuracy in, or omission of, any particular shall in any way
affect the validity of any lease or license granted under Part VI of the Trust Land
Act (Cap. 288).
21. Consolidation
(1) The Committee shall set aside out of land in the adjudication section such
land as may, in its opinion, be required for the needs of the community; and
any detriment to any landowner caused by such setting aside shall be divided
as equitably as possible between all landowners in the allocation of parcels
(hereinafter provided for) within the adjudication section.
(2) To each landowner the Committee shall allocate land within the adjudication
section, and in making such allocation the Committee shall have regard, so far
as possible, to the site, quality, nature and extent of the land to which each
landowner was entitled and to any interest, lease, right of occupation, charge
or other encumbrance affecting the land, whether by African customary law or
otherwise, according to the Record of Existing Rights, to the intent that so far as
possible equality of exchange shall be achieved, subject to the liability of each such
landowner to bear a share of the detriment caused by the setting aside of land for
the community in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of this section.
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(3) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing for the purposes of this
section the Committee may—
(a) consolidate all the land to which a landowner is entitled in accordance
with the provisions of section 15(2)(a) of this Act;
(b) require a landowner or the county council to relinquish any land to
which he or it is entitled and to accept in place thereof other land;
(c) require a landowner or the county council to relinquish any land to
which he or it is entitled in order to create a right of way or to provide
for the needs of the community:
Provided that the county council shall not be required to relinquish any land
which is subject to a lease unless the lessee consents.
(4) If, in the exercise of any or all of its powers under subsection (3) of this
section, a Committee is of the opinion that any compensation should be paid to any
person on account of any detriment suffered by him as a result of such exercise of
its powers, the Committee may require any other landowner or landowners who, in
the opinion of the Committee, has or have profited therefrom to pay to such person
such compensation as it may think proper; and such compensation shall be paid
in money or in kind, and at such time or times, as the Committee may direct.
[L.N. 66/1964, s. 10, Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
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23. Demarcation
(1) The Demarcation Officer, with the assistance of the Committee or any
member or members thereof, shall demarcate or cause to be demarcated by such
means or in such manner as he may direct the boundaries of all parcels of land
within the adjudication section in accordance with the Record of Existing Rights or
with any allocation of land made under section 21 of this Act, as the case may be.
(2) The Demarcation Officer may order any landowner to whom land has
been allocated in accordance with the provisions of section 21 of this Act within a
reasonable time to be fixed by such officer—
(a) to demarcate his land, and for the purpose of such demarcation to
erect or plant, or to remove, such boundary marks as the said officer
may direct;
(b) to clear any boundary or other line which it may be necessary to clear
for the purpose of demarcating his land;
(c) to provide labour or otherwise assist in the demarcation of his land.
(3) If the land is not demarcated within the time and in the manner directed
by the Demarcation Officer, he may demarcate or cause to be demarcated the
boundaries of the land and may clear any boundary or other line which it may be
necessary to clear for the purpose of such demarcation.
(4) All costs incurred under subsection (3) of this section shall be assessed by
the Demarcation Officer, and shall be paid to him by the landowner concerned; and
such costs may be recovered by the Demarcation Officer from such landowner as
a civil debt recoverable summarily.
(5) The Demarcation Officer shall prepare or cause to be prepared a
Demarcation Plan of the adjudication section, showing the separate parcels into
which the same is divided.
24. Adjudication Register
(1) The Committee shall prepare or cause to be prepared in respect of every
parcel of land shown on the Demarcation Plan a form containing the particulars set
forth in either subsection (2) or subsection (3) of this section.
(2) The form shall contain in respect of land which has been allocated to
landowners—
(a) the name and description of the landowner, together with the number
of the parcel of land as shown on the Demarcation Plan and its
approximate area;
(b) any interest, lease, right of occupation, charge or other encumbrance
affecting the land, whether by virtue of African customary law or
otherwise, together with the name and description of every person
entitled to the benefit thereof;
(c) any restriction on the power of the landowner or of any such person
to deal with the land or his interest, lease, right of occupation, charge
or encumbrance;
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(d) in the case of any landowner or of any such person who is under
a disability, whether by reason of age, unsoundness of mind or
otherwise, the name of his guardian; and
(e) the date on which the form is completed.
(3) The form shall contain, in respect of land of which the county council is the
owner, the particulars required by subsections (3) and (4) of section 15 of this Act,
as the case may be.
(4) Each form shall be signed by the chairman of the Committee or by its
executive officer and by the Demarcation Officer.
(5) The forms and the Demarcation Plan shall be delivered to the Adjudication
Officer and shall collectively be known as the Adjudication Register.
[Act No. 17 of 1967, First Sch.]
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32. Fees
All fees, costs, charges and expenses to be paid under or by virtue of this Act
shall be a civil debt recoverable summarily by the Chief Land Registrar appointed
under the Registered Land Act (Cap. 300).
[Act No. 25 of 1963, Sch.]
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