BY SHABAN OMAR
Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has vowed to take a firm and uncompromising stand against land grabbers, who she says are becoming a persistent menace in the region.
Her sentiments come amid growing calls by thousands of locals for the government to address and resolve historical land injustices that have plagued the region for decades.
Kwale is one of the coastal counties hardest hit by land grabbing, with only a small percentage of residents in possession of legal land ownership documents.
Speaking during the official launch of a rural electrification project in Mkokoni, Matuga sub-county, Governor Achani said her administration will not be cowed by private developers or cartels who are illegally acquiring community and public land.
“I want to send a strong message to those individuals who think they can intimidate me or the county government when challenged on illegal land dealings. Their time is up,” she said.
Achani warned that her government is already in possession of crucial documentation and intelligence about illegal land ownership, and that legal action will soon be taken.
The governor sounded an alarm, warning that the land grabbers’ “40 days are over,” and that they must immediately surrender any grabbed land or face legal consequences.
She said her government has already identified individuals and syndicates behind illegal allocations and that enforcement agencies are on high alert.
“We have the facts, we have the files, and we are moving to court. Anyone who took land illegally should either return it or prepare to face the full wrath of the law,” she said.
She said already the county has won several legal battles over beach plots and that the land has been returned to the community and Kwale government.
Achani mentioned of a parcel of land in Diani and Chale Island among others.
She revealed that the county government is working closely with national land agencies and investigatives teams to ensure justice is served.
Achani said that land injustices have for long held back development in the region, leaving residents landless and impoverished.
She said the era of powerful individuals manipulating the system for personal gain is over.
“It is impossible for one person from nowhere to claim ownership of huge parcels of land yet the indigenous people are landless,” she said.
Achani further urged residents to remain calm and avoid taking matters into their own hands, assuring them that the county government is actively pursuing legal avenues to reclaim grabbed land and hold perpetrators accountable.
County Attorney Salim Gombeni echoed the governor’s sentiments, noting that Waa/Ng’ombeni ward is the most affected, with less than 35 percent of residents holding legal land ownership documents.
He revealed that out of 23 cases of historical land injustices submitted to the National Land Commission (NLC) last year from Kwale, 12 originated from Waa ward alone, highlighting the scale of the problem in the area.
Gombeni said the county’s legal team is making steady progress in pursuing justice and pledged that the government will not rest until rightful landowners are restored and justice is served.
