State to buy land from absentee Coast landlords to resettle squatters, Ruto says
Ruto reaffirmed the government's commitment to resolving land ownership disputes in Magarini, promising that squatters in the area would receive title deeds before the year ends.
President William Ruto has announced that the government will purchase land from absentee landlords to resettle squatters at the Coast.
He said this move is the first step toward resolving historical land injustices that have left thousands without ownership documents for generations.
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Speaking on Friday at the funeral of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi's father, Mzee Kingi Mwaruwa Mkweha, in Kilifi County, Ruto assured residents that the government has allocated funds to compensate absentee landlords and give title deeds to squatters.
"We have made progress, and we now have money to pay off these absentee landlords. It will not be completed in one or two years, but we will deliver on our promise to largely sort out the squatter problem at the Coast," he said.
The President directed Speaker Kingi and Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome (Lands), Hassan Joho (Mining), and Salim Mvurya (Sports) to vet and identify genuine absentee landlords eligible for compensation.
Land ownership disputes
Ruto also reaffirmed the government's commitment to resolving land ownership disputes in Magarini, promising that squatters in the area would receive title deeds before the year ends.
During his speech, Ruto emphasised his administration's commitment to fair development across all regions.
As part of his ongoing efforts, he announced that Kilifi County would receive Sh2 billion from the Sh10 billion national electricity expansion initiative targeting 14 marginalised counties.
He noted that key electricity projects in the region, including the Rabai-Bomani-Kilifi transmission line and the Sh9 billion Kilifi-Weru-Malindi transmission line, were progressing well.
Additionally, he revealed that the Sh2.1 billion Baricho Bridge, linking Malindi and Magarini, is 98 per cent complete and will be commissioned soon.
On national identification documents, Ruto reiterated his decision to abolish the extra vetting process that has long been imposed on border communities, including those in Kilifi.
"We should all be treated equally. I am shocked that there are people who are angry at this move," he said, adding that while the vetting process has been removed, safeguards remain in place to prevent non-citizens from acquiring Kenyan IDs.
The President's remarks came ahead of his planned week-long tour of Coast counties, including Lamu, Tana River, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa and Taita-Taveta where he will inspect ongoing development projects.
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