LAPSSET design - Pic/Files

The Lamu to Sudan highway is about 880 kilometers. If a radius of 5 kilometers on both sides was measured this would result to a land area of 8,800 sq kilometers along the highway. If 4,000 sq km of this land was allocated toward private land leases of 99 years then 1 million acres would be available for leases. If the land bill set the terms of private leasehold at minimum 50 acres, one person employed for every 10 acres applied, Kshs 10,000 lease rate per acre with 5 year incentive/grace period then the government would be in a position to generate about Kshs 10 billion every year once all lands taken and put to use. A minimum of 100,000 Kenyans would be put to work. If the average assessed income tax was Kshs 50,000 per person this would be another Kshs 5 billion. The land bill would therefore generate Kshs 15 billion to government revenue and this money can go toward paying loans, interest and maintenance of this road into the future.

There is a need for the current parliament or a political party that wants to be elected to lead the country to create models and economic platforms that lead to efficiency in land use. The land bill to be enacted February 2012 or after the new parliament is elected can see land leased out used to fund roads that open the land for economic development. 

“This is the time to buy in regions like Isiolo and Lamu and hold the land for future sell,” said a government official in the Kenya Diaspora Conference in D.C. The problem is that this traditional approach has not worked or benefitted anyone. Those who were allocated land are just millionaires and billionaires based on what they think the value of their land is. These land billionaires cannot even be able to finance their children university education or an air ticket to take a vacation outside the country.

Commuters daily in any of these major paved road systems, (1) Mombasa–Nairobi-Nakuru-Malaba/Kisumu (2) Lunga Lunga– Mombasa–Malindi-Garissa (3) Nairobi-Thika-Nyanyuki–Isiolo, are treated to views of natural land on both sides that are idle. The only thing they do not know is who owns these lands. If the Kenyans demanded an audit done as relates to land stretching both sides of this highways for a radius of 5 kilometers they would be shocked by the findings. Most of this lands owned privately have never being even one day used for any economic gain. Which begs the question, Why were these lands allocated in the first place if they were not going to be put into economic use? 

The land bill enacted February 2012 can make sure that land allocated will be used for economic activity so that a funding system of roads construction through this land is achieved. When a road is paved it does give value to the land; however, the beneficiaries of that value should not be a person who stores a title at home to admire and tell his drinking friends about it, the beneficiary should be Kenyans through entrepreneurial people who can make good use of land and employ Kenyans.

A serious political party in Kenya looking toward finding ways to improve the Kenya economy from the $60 billion to move to the direction of the $1.5 trillion South Korea should come up with proposals on land bill.

If 5,000 allocations were set up of lands to be allocated from 50 acres to 1000 acres for private leasehold that will touch the new highway under the land bill law of 50 acres minimum, Kshs 10,000 per acre lease rate, one employee, 5 year grace period and projections done based on when the highway construction in place the land touches highway will be done, there would be 5,000 Kenyans individuals or businesses applying for these lands. This would help open up as the highway construction from Lamu to Sudan and the highway achieved at a faster pace as GDP growth settles between 10% - 15% in the next decade.