President William Ruto has said the government is making major progress in resolving historical land disputes at the Coast through an expanded title deed issuance programme targeting thousands of families previously classified as squatters.
Speaking during a public address at Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mombasa, the President said Coast residents should no longer live in fear over land ownership as the government moves to provide permanent solutions to long-standing injustices.
Ruto announced that more than 33,000 title deeds were issued on Thursday to residents from Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River, Taita Taveta and Lamu counties.
He added that another 200,000 title deeds are currently being processed and will be issued within the next 90 days, a move expected to benefit over one million people across the Coast region.
According to the President, the latest exercise is part of the government’s broader land reform programme that has seen 1.5 million title deeds issued countrywide since 2022.
Of those, 381,000 title deeds have already been issued within the Coast region alone.k
“We are delivering a lasting solution to the long-standing challenge of land ownership across many parts of the country, especially here at the Coast,” Ruto said.
The Head of State said the land question in the Coast region has for decades remained a source of pain, uncertainty and economic exclusion for many families living on ancestral land without legal ownership documents.
He said the government’s plan is aimed at ending the squatter problem and protecting residents from exploitation by absentee landlords.
“Our goal is to ensure that residents are no longer squatters, but legitimate landowners with a place they can proudly call home,” he stated.
Ruto noted that thousands of families have lived for generations without title deeds, exposing them to eviction threats and limiting their access to loans and investment opportunities.
“The land question has never been simply about title deeds. It is about dignity, security, fairness and opportunity,” he said.
The President said the government has already acquired or negotiated land in several areas including Junda in Kisauni, Gazi in Kwale, Ganda and Shambani in Malindi, and parts of Lamu County to facilitate settlement programmes.
He said the interventions are expected to benefit approximately 200,000 households once subdivision and processing exercises are completed.
Ruto directed the Ministry of Lands to ensure the ongoing processing of title deeds is completed within the next three months.
“The era where families lived as squatters and strangers on land they have occupied for generations must come to an end,” he said.
The President also linked land ownership reforms to economic empowerment, saying title deeds would allow families to invest confidently, develop property and secure better opportunities for future generations.
“We now have the answer to the land question that has troubled the Coast for years,” he said.
