Land use planning is a tool for enhancing sanity in land use development. Mandera County inherited unplanned towns except for Mandera towns CBD. Currently, the county has prepared Integrated Strategic Urban Development Plans (ISUDP) for Elwak, Mandera and Kotulo.

The plans are at the approval stage but implementation of key infrastructure/utilities is already ongoing and is based on the plan proposals.

There are also satellite plans for specific localities such as Didqumbi and Darweid which are being implemented. Other satellite plans prepared and surveyed include:

• Border Point 1
• Kamor

the department of Housing & Urban Development has achieved the following:

• Securing of public land

The ministry of Lands, Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development was able to secure land for projects of regional and national importance    as follows;

• Mandera Regional Livestock

The market is located in Garbaqoley location, Mandera East subcounty. The construction is currently on-going and the market is expected to boost animal industry in the region. It measures approximately 344.8Ha.

• Mandera Teachers Training College

The total area of land secured for the college is 19.35Ha and the construction of the college is almost complete. It is located in Shafshafey location, Mandera East.

• Mandera Medical Training

The total area of land secured for the college is 19.35Ha and the construction of the college is almost complete. It is located in Shafshafey location, Mandera East.

• Mandera Islamic University

The total land secured for the University is 25.09Ha but the construction/development plan is underway.

• Karrow, Takaba and Elwak Airstrips

Mandera County Government has allocated land for relocation/expansion of airstrips in Elwak, Takaba and Mandera. The three mentioned towns are rapidly developing hence the need to upgrade transportation infrastructure. Takaba and Elwak airstrips are fully operational while the formalization of   the proposed Karow site is in progress.

• Mandera Water Supply and Sewerage System

Mandera town is developing and the need for water supply and liquid waste management has become a priority. The Ministry of lands has secured adequate land measuring 2.15Ha and 75.12Ha for water supply system and Sewage treatment plant respectively.

• Digitization of land records

Mandera County Government inherited manual land records from the defunct local authority.

However, the existing records were characterized by several challenges such as double registration, manipulation by registry officers, loss of records and inadequate space for storage.

The county government has successfully developed the Land Information Management System (LIMS) which is fully operational in Mandera East. Currently, 15,200 records have been digitized in to the system.

The system has not only created data security but has also tripled land-based revenue. Specifically, a total of Kshs51,426,436 has been collected from land rates since the operationalization of the system in 2020.

The digitization process is currently being rolled out to other sub-counties and the revenue collection is expected to surpass the set targets.

• Resettlement of IDPs

The department has managed to resettle about 1100 internally displaced persons across the county about 800 IDPs were resettled in Rhamu and 300 in Elwak.

• Construction of Land Registry

The construction of land registry offices is one of the key achievements witnessed in the county’s attempts to create a conducive work environment and to ensure security of land records. The county has thus managed to erect land registry office blocks in Elwak and Mandera East. Mandera and Elwak were prioritized because they are the two largest urban centres where land transactions are pronounced.

• Staffing

Mandera County Government inherited a regime which had acute shortage of staff and the situation was exacerbated by the expanded structure of the devolved units. However, the county government has made a lot of progress in increasing in the number of staff in the Ministry of lands.

The number of staff between 2013-2017 was 16 but this has currently increased to a total of 48 staff in service. Efficiency in service delivery has been enhanced due to adequate staff and decentralized services to the sub-counties.

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