Sadly, successive governments have been using the hot potato as a campaign tool every five years.
Experts and land investors are warning of a bleak future unless the government puts in place measures to address the escalating land problems in the region.
A recent incident where a group of 120 people from Nairobi and Nyeri arrived in buses and descended on a 3,000-acre ranch in Mwereni, Kwale County, claiming ownership is the latest of unending land woes at the Coast.
Sadly, successive governments have been using the hot potato as a campaign tool every five years. In 2009, the Lands ministry, then led by Prof Kivutha Kibwana (now Makueni governor), carried out a survey on the problem at the Coast and came up with the Njonjo report.
Kenya Land Alliance coast representative Nagib Shamsan, who participated in drafting the report, said many recommendations were made but the government was “very slow” in implementing it.
The report focused mainly on the 10-mile strip, which has been hit by invasions by locals and the fact that only a few families hold title deeds for huge chunks of land.
The report identified 1,128 parcels of land measuring 80,000 hectares – translating to about 351,000 acres – along the 10-mile strip covering Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, Lamu and Tana River counties.
Mombasa leads with 51,651 hectares, Kilifi (26,124), Kwale (24,551), Malindi in Kilifi (22,017), Lamu (3,160) and Tana River (1,427).
According to the report, 70,790 families were living in schemes formed by the government to settle communities without land.
“The report also identified 128,900 heads of families as genuine squatters along the Coast after rigorous verification,” said Mr Shamsan. Absentee landlords own 77,753 acres of the land along the strip, with Kwale leading at 75,982 hectares, Kilifi (1,235), Malindi (234.2) and Mombasa (301).
And now development experts and land investors are warning of a bleak future unless the government puts in place measures to address the escalating land problems in the region.
In an interview with the Sunday Nation, Myspace chief executive Mwenda Thuranira said lack of title deeds had scuttled development.
“The biggest problem is planning because if you go to some areas in Mombasa, titles deeds are owned by few people. It is difficult to invest. For a good investment that can bring in good income, one has to part with at least Sh5 million. But how can one do that in an area where the title deed is for the thousands of acres owned by a single family or person?” he asked.
Goldwyne Consult CEO Ben Mutuku said lack of proper infrastructure was also a hindrance to development. He said most land especially in Mombasa was family owned or one person held a title for thousands of acres of land.
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