Author: Coast Times Digital

By Lamu Reporter Lamu residents who have for decades pursued claims over ancestral land, missing title deeds and displacement could soon have a clearer legal path to redress under proposed regulations by the National Land Commission (NLC). The draft National Land Commission (Historical Land Injustices) Regulations, 2026, and the draft Review of Grants and Dispositions of Public Land Regulations, 2026, set out how the Commission would investigate past wrongs and re-examine how public land was allocated. Speaking in Lamu today during a Lamu’s public participation forum on Public Land Regulations draft policy Mohammed Abdi Haji , a commissioner at NLC…

By Alloys Musyoka President William Ruto has advanced his administration’s plan to settle historical land grievances at the Coast by issuing 94,175 title deeds in Kwale County on Monday. During a ceremony at Kibaoni in Lunga Lunga Constituency, President Ruto personally handed over more than 26,000 of these crucial ownership documents to local residents. The beneficiaries included households across the Lunga Lunga, Mwereni, Kanana, Mkono wa Ndugu, Gombato, and Anzwani ranches, alongside members of the recently naturalised Pemba community. Broad Land Ownership Campaign The massive Kwale distribution is part of a larger 300,000 title deed push scheduled for the President’s…

By Alloys Musyoka A section of Kwale County residents has welcomed the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Kenya, acknowledging that public resistance to the technology has largely been driven by misinformation and fear. The shift in perspective follows a comprehensive public awareness walk and sensitization campaign held in Msambweni sub-county. The initiative was jointly organized by the national Biosafety authority, Kataru Concept Africa Farming Technologies, and the Kinondo Walk Movement. Following the sensitization drive, local farmers and community members expressed optimism, stating that embracing biotechnology is a vital path toward mitigating the country’s persistent food shortages and mitigating…

By Primerose Omoto Property worth millions of shillings was destroyed on Monday, September 22, 2026, after a massive fire tore through a wholesale shop at Ibiza Market in Ukunda, Kwale County. The fire broke out around 3:00 pm, quickly spreading and gutting businesses housed within the Mali Mali section of the market, a busy commercial hub serving Diani and Ukunda town. The flames engulfed low-rise structures with corrugated metal roofs, with dense black smoke rising high into the sky. Large crowds gathered, with many traders seen pulling out mattresses, plastic chairs and other goods as they watched helplessly. Peter Njeka…

By Alloys Musyoka The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission might be facing a new contempt of court after going against Kwale high court directive on nominations. Last week IEBC was directed by the court to gazzette several MCAs in compliance with a high court judgement that quashed the previous embattled MCAs led by Mulki Abdillahi to be replaced by Bakari Mwakilesho. Instead IEBC on 18 September 2026 gazzetted Agness Otieno a UDA member instead of ODM Bakari Mwakilesho. The proposed direct orders demanded that the IEBC execute the following immediate changes to the gazetted Members of the County Assembly (MCAs)…

By Alloys Musyoka For Linet Dzame Chiro, a mother from the interior of Samburu Sub-County in Kwale County, surviving pregnancy felt like a miracle. For months, her body was racked by recurring seizures, fainting spells, and severe vomiting. Isolated by geography and fear, she spent her pregnancy terrified for her life and that of her unborn child. Chiro’s story ended happily with a safe delivery and a healthy newborn, but only because a county-backed initiative called the Stawisha Pwani campaign intervened. Through a network of dedicated Community Health Promoters (CHPs), Chiro was connected to a clinic, put on vital medication,…

By Victoria Kitina County Commissioner Stephen Sangolo has confirmed that preparations are in high gear for the groundbreaking ceremony of the $15 billion Dangote Oil Refinery, slated for September 30, in what is expected to be one of the largest diplomatic and industrial gatherings the county has ever hosted. Speaking during a Lamu County heads of department technical meeting attended by elected leaders and officials from both the national and county governments, Sangolo said the security and logistical machinery is already in motion to accommodate an unprecedented guest list. “We are expecting as many as 14 heads of state to…

By Lamu Reporter Lamu Governor Issa Timamy has issued a stern advisory to residents of Hindi and Mkunumbi wards, the epicentre of the proposed $15 billion Dangote Oil Refinery, cautioning them against parting with their land at undervalued prices as the county braces for what he described as a transformative economic shift. Speaking in Mokowe, Timamy urged landowners particularly those holding parcels near the refinery site to exercise patience and hold out for better valuations and opportunities once the project reaches full operationalization. “Landowners should not rush to sell their land cheaply. The value of this land will only rise…

By Alloys Musyoka The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is facing internal resistance over its 2027 electoral strategy. ODM National Acting Secretary General Catherine Omanyo has strongly opposed the proposed zoning of political party strongholds, declaring that the party’s traditional backyards must remain untouched. Addressing an energized delegation of party representatives from Lungalunga Constituency in Kwale County, Omanyo drew a firm line against the proposal. She insisted that restricting candidates through zoning is not a viable option for politicians eyeing elective seats in the upcoming 2027 General Election. She said that county leaders should be left to decide crucial matters regarding…

By Reporter The Kwale High Court has delivered a major political blow to the local assembly after nullifying the selection of five nominated Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) due to gross illegalities and flaws in the selection processes used by political parties few months ago by ordering IEBC to gazette the new nominees by 25 September this year. The Kwale high court also ordered IEBC to pay Sh500,000 as  cost for the case. Kwale county assembly Speaker Seth Kamanza and clerk Fatuma Mwalupa appeared before the court visibly shaken after being ordered to appear physical together with the nominated…