Appraisal of compliance with land subdivision planning regulations in residential neighbourhoods

Although previous studies have attempted to address the challenge of land subdivision, there is still a scarcity in the literature on how the extent of conformity to land subdivision planning regulations may be statistically and spatially analyzed. This study, therefore, explores the extent to which residential developers comply with land subdivision planning regulations in Kenya, a case study of Kisii Town. It was guided by the public interest theory of regulation with a target population of 7,430 residential developments from the seven sublocation neighbourhoods of Kisii Town. Four administrative sublocations were used as strata out of which proportional random samples were drawn from their respective residential neighbourhoods to attain a sample size of 364. Structured checklists were used to collect data on the extent of conformity. Results revealed that although the recommended minimum plot size in Jogoo, Nyamataro and Nyanchwa neighbourhoods was 0.1 ha, 84%, 100% and 88% of developers did not respectively comply. Further, although the recommended minimum plot size for Egesa, Daraja Mbili, Mwembe and Nyamage neighbourhoods was 0.05 ha, 83%, 46%, 58% and 63% of developers failed to, in that order, comply. The problem continues notwithstanding the legal framework that grants the County Government of Kisii powers of development control. Key recommendations comprised establishing a coordinating committee to harmonize agencies that deal with land subdivisions and ensuring that only registered persons’ process of land subdivisions. This study generally benefits international readers by highlighting how compliance with recommended land subdivision planning regulations may be statistically and spatially analyzed.