By Reporter
President William Ruto began a five-day extensive development tour of the Coast region on Thursday morning by issuing more than 33,000 title deeds.
The land documents were given to Coast residents from Lamu, Tana River, Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale and Taita-Taveta counties at Mama Ngina Drive, Mombasa County.
The titles are for pieces of land in Kilifi/Weru Ranch, Mwele Simakeni, Msabaha, Ka Dzandani, Wachu Kordentu and the Ronge Juu Registration Unit.
“Today, we are here to address the challenge of squatters, citizens who live in fear of being evicted. It is a commitment I made and it is a commitment I intend to keep,” the President said.
Present at the function were Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, Cabinet Secretaries Ali Hassan Joho (Mining) and Salim Mvurya (Sports), Governors Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir (Mombasa), Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi), Fatuma Achani (Kwale), Andrew Mwadime (Taita-Taveta), and Dhadho Gaddae Godhana (Tana River), MPs and MCAs were present.
In the past three years, President Ruto announced 1.5 million title deeds have been issued across the country, with 381,000 deeds to residents at the Coast to address historical land ownership challenges.
Additionally, he said the government is processing an additional 200,000 title deeds in different parts of the Coast region, which will be ready in the next 90 days, benefiting more than one million residents.
“One million residents will be issued with title deeds. They will stop being squatters and become landowners,” he said.
To achieve this, President Ruto directed the Ministry of Lands to speed up the sub-division and adjudication processes so that every deserving beneficiary can receive their rightful piece of land.
He explained that the Government has successfully negotiated with absentee landlords and acquired several parcels of land across the Coast region that will help in resolving long-standing disputes and settling affected families.
He cited the case of Ronge Juu in Taita Taveta, which was established in 1969, saying families there have waited for nearly 60 years for formal recognition and ownership documentation.
As part of the Government’s efforts to promote orderly land ownership, President Ruto explained, ongoing land adjudication processes are underway in various parts of Coast region, including Vigurungani, Mtaa, Mazola, Chengoni, Bofu, Gandini, and Kitengwani.
He also announced that adjudication of land is also going on in Mihirini, Mwembe Kati, Tsangalaweni, Kalia Ngombe, Viragoni, Godoma, Ngoroki, Chawia, and Mu Mari, among others.
“This exercise is aimed at identifying, demarcating and documenting land rights and is expected to result in the issuance of more than 55,000 title deeds,” he said.
At the same time, he said the Government is strengthening the registration of community land to protect communal heritage and secure the rights of local communities, with six units already formalised in Taita-Taveta and Tana River counties, and a further nine are being processed acros the region.
Through deliberate interventions, he said the Government has negotiated and acquired strategic parcels of land in Kwa Punda in Changamwe (Mombasa) benefiting 8,500 people; Junda in Kisauni (Mombasa) benefiting 12,000 people; Gazi in Msambweni (Kwale) benefiting 3,000 people; Gombato in Kwale County, benefiting 7,000 people; Shambani in Msabaha (Kilifi) benefiting 11,000 families; Ganda in Malindi benefiting 9,000 families; and Takaungu in Kilifi benefiting 2,000 families.
“We have also finalised negotiations to acquire additional land in Mashamasha (Lamu), benefiting 2,000 families; Migingo in Malindi, benefiting 4,000 families; and three separate locations in Likoni (Mombasa) benefiting 356 families.
“Additional land has also been secured in Junda, Utange, and Bombo in Kisauni and will benefit 2,100 families,” he said.
The President said the Government is engaging landowners in Kagaa and Kiwandani (Kilifi); Machungwani (Taita-Taveta); Parbat and Waa (Kwale); Kitangale and Kibusu (Tana River); and Zumzum, Thathini, Ali Dina, and Kwa Bulo (Mombasa), among others, to facilitate the settlement of squatters.
The President commended absentee landlords for agreeing to resolve the land issue through dialogue.
“We all agreed the solution will not be achieved through court battles but through dialogue,” he said.
The President explained that land should never be a source of perpetual conflict, but a source of prosperity.
“It should create jobs, attract investment, strengthen communities and expand opportunity,” he said.
Prof Kindiki noted that the land ownership challenge was among the promises President Ruto had made to the people of the Coast.
“Today, we are here not to ask the land question but to provide the land answer and the land solution,” he said.
Mr Joho said lack of title deeds has been a challenge for a long time, leaving residents in constant fear of eviction.
Mr Mvurya recalled that addressing the land ownership challenge was among the top priorities of the Kenya Kwanza administration, a commitment the government has delivered on.
Mr Kingi said President Ruto has demonstrated commitment to addressing the various challenges facing the people of the Coast.
He said the region has many challenges but the land ownership tops the list.
Mr Mung’aro said land ownership issues had remained unresolved for decades despite repeated campaign promises over the years.
He said the Government was now implementing concrete measures to address the historical injustices that have been ignored for far too long.
Governor Achani thanked the President for addressing the land challenges, noting that it was regrettable residents of the Coast have been living as squatters.
Governor Nassir said no other administration has made deliberate efforts to address the land question at the Coast as President Ruto’s is doing.
He noted that 30 per cent of the title deeds issued in the past three years of the Kenya Kwanza administration have been given to the people at the Coast.
“This is not a normal political meeting. This is a meeting in which we are delivering on the promises that had been made,” he said.
He went on: “Today, the President is not here to make promises. He has come to inform you that he has delivered on the promise he made to you.”
Governor Nassir said the partnership between the Orange Democratic Movement and United Democratic Alliance and Kenya Kwanza would continue delivering title deeds, universal healthcare and water projects for the benefit of wananchi.
“We are united for a cause,” he said.
Governor Godhana urged President Ruto to continue resolving land ownership challenges, saying the initiative has the support of leaders in the region.
On his part, Governor Mwadime said: “We have not witnessed a meeting of such magnitude convened to address the long-standing land challenge.”
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya said the people of the Coast will support President Ruto’s re-election bid because of his development track record, citing the issuance of title deeds.
Tana River Women Representative Amina Dika said issuance of title deeds is not the only promise the President has kept, saying he has also fulfilled pledges on non-discriminatory provision of national identification cards, which has been a challenge in the region.
