By Faith Muteti
The Human Rights Agenda organization has launched two pivotal land reports aimed at streamlining the issue of land and fish landing sites in Kwale county.
The reports, developed in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focus on two critical issues: governance and tenure security of fishing landing sites and women’s access to land in Kwale County.
The governance and tenure security of fish landing sites report revealed that out of 91 identified landing sites in Kwale, a staggering 75% remain ungazetted leaving them vulnerable to land grabbing, a growing threat along the coastal region.
HURIA Programme Officer Antony Mhanga expressed concern over the situation, stating, “It is discouraging that most beaches at the coast are under threat of being grabbed. This poses a serious challenge to fishermen who depend on these areas for their livelihoods.”
He also took issue with infrastructural challenges such as poor road access, largely due to encroachment, and the absence of proper land documentation.
The gaps, he said, have increasingly led to disputes between BMUs and private developers, making it harder for coastal communities to benefit from the fishing economy.
The event brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Kwale County Assembly, county government, the National Land Commission, Beach Management Units (BMUs), and area chiefs from Golini.
Msambweni sub county BMU chair Suleiman Abdalah,emphasized that HURIA has made significant progress on issues they have long been advocating for especially concerning fish landing sites.
“HURIA has achieved the goals we’ve been struggling to reach. Now, it’s important for those goals to be followed through so as BMUs can secure their landing sites and operate without interference from wealthy land grabbers,” he said.
One of the major challenges facing local fishermen he said is the lack of access to the beach and proper landing sites.
“Fishermen have modern equipment and can catch a lot of fish, but we’re forced to offload our catch directly onto the sand because there are no proper facilities. The roads are in such bad condition that vehicles can’t reach the shore to pick up the fish,” Suleiman added.
An analysis of 1,098 title deeds showed that 71% are owned by men (854 titles), while only 29% are held by women (344 titles) in the unequal ground report.
The report dealt into the persistent inequalities women face in accessing, owning, and utilizing land in Kwale.
HURIA, Programme Manager Agnes Mwambile said that for their year-long engagement with women across the county they have been able to engage women in Kwale to understand their challenges with land ownership.
“Our aim is to use this report as a tool for advocacy—specifically to push for legal support and affirmative action to make land access more equitable for women,” she said.
Mwambile added that HURIA will also focus on creating awareness around harmful traditional norms that hinder women from claiming their rightful share of land.
The organization plans to collaborate with the National Land Commission and the Kwale County Assembly to advocate for systemic reforms.
“These reports highlight the importance of evidence-based advocacy to drive transformation. We must begin to shed light on these issues in order to bring about meaningful change in society,” said Huria director Yusuf Lule.
The two reports jointly emphasize the crucial role research plays in advocacy and in addressing long-standing social issues
