The government has set in motion a fresh push to settle long-standing land ownership problems at the Coast, with President William Ruto announcing plans to issue 500,000 title deeds to residents by December.
Ruto said 300 officers from the Ministry of Lands had been assembled from across the country and assigned to speed up the work, including land surveys, documentation and other processes required to formalise ownership.
Speaking in Kilifi on Tuesday, September 29, the President said the exercise was aimed at addressing the squatter problem that has affected thousands of residents in the region for years.
“Hili swala la uskwota hapa Pwani nitamaliza,” Ruto said.
He said the officers had been brought together to ensure the process is completed within a short period, with different teams handling the various stages leading to the issuance of title deeds.
“We have our officers from the Ministry of Lands. We have brought together 300 officers from different parts of the country to undertake this work so that we can complete it quickly,” he said.
Issuance of title deeds to residents in Kilifi which was presided by President William Ruto on September 29, 2026.
PHOTO/PCS
Ruto said the government was working towards issuing 500,000 title deeds to Coast residents before December, in a move he said would help address disputes and bring settlements into the formal land ownership system.
“Tuko na wale wa kufanya survey, wale wa documentation na wale wengine wote ili kabla ya December tuwe tumepatiana title deeds 500,000 ya watu wa hapa Pwani,” he said.
The President said unresolved land ownership issues had had a wider effect on the Coast, linking the squatter problem to poverty, deprivation and limited development in the region.
He further said the historical land question had contributed to a feeling among some people at the Coast that they were not fully recognised as Kenyans.
“We want to address the issue of squatters in this area because it has contributed significantly to poverty, deprivation and underdevelopment, as well as the feeling among coastal people that they are not fully Kenyan,” Ruto said.
The announcement followed the issuance of title deeds to residents in Kilifi during Ruto’s ongoing development tour of the coastal region.
The title deeds will provide beneficiaries with formal documents confirming ownership of their land. Secure ownership can also give landholders greater confidence to develop their property and potentially use it to access credit.
Ruto is on a week-long tour of the Coast, where he is inspecting and launching government projects across the region.
The tour is also taking place ahead of the planned groundbreaking ceremony for the Sh2 trillion Dangote East Africa Refinery project, which is expected to boost the Coast’s position as an investment and industrial centre.
Ruto has previously said resolving historical land challenges is key to improving livelihoods and opening up the Coast’s economic potential.
The latest title deed drive is therefore part of the government’s broader effort to address land ownership concerns and support development in the region.