KWALE, Kenya – A section of Kwale residents has rejected title deeds recently issued by the government, claiming the parcels allocated to them are smaller than the ancestral land they have occupied and cultivated for years.
The residents said receiving title deeds had not resolved their longstanding land disputes because some documents covered parcels they said were significantly smaller than the land historically occupied by their families.
Some residents claimed they had been allocated plots measuring about 50 by 100 feet despite traditionally owning and farming substantially larger parcels.
Residents Question Land Subdivision
The residents also raised concerns over how the land was subdivided, saying population growth had increased pressure on available land.
One resident claimed an area that originally had about 900 people now had more than 2,000 residents, resulting in several people occupying land that was previously associated with fewer households.
“The land that originally had about 900 people had grown to more than 2,000 residents, creating pressure on the available parcels,” the resident claimed.
The residents said the resulting allocations did not adequately reflect the size of the land they had historically occupied and cultivated.
“The land had already been measured under settlement schemes, but the resulting allocations did not reflect the size of the land they had historically occupied,” another resident said.
Residents Claim Many Still Lack Titles
The residents further claimed that about 75 per cent of those who had received allocations had not yet received title deeds.
They also said some original landowners had been left without documentation to establish ownership of land they considered ancestral.
The residents called for the affected parcels to be properly surveyed and ownership disputes resolved before the issuance of titles is treated as a solution to the longstanding grievances.
Ruto Issues More Than 94,000 Titles
The complaints come about a week after President William Ruto issued more than 94,000 title deeds in Kwale County as part of government efforts to address longstanding land ownership and squatter challenges at the Coast.
During the exercise, Ruto handed over more than 26,000 title deeds to beneficiaries at Kibaoni in Lunga Lunga Constituency.
The titles covered residents of Lunga Lunga, Mwereni, Knana, Mkono wa Ndungu, Gombat and Anzwan ranches.
Ruto said the government ultimately intends to issue 500,000 title deeds to beneficiaries across the Coast by the end of the year.
“When I sought your votes in 2022, I promised that I had the answer to the land question at the Coast. You are now witnesses that we meant what we said,” Ruto said during the title handover.
Residents Seek Ruto’s Intervention
Despite the issuance of the title deeds, the Kwale residents said documentation alone would not resolve their grievances if the titles covered parcels they considered inadequate.
They also blamed some local leaders for challenges surrounding the land allocation process and called on Ruto to intervene.
The residents want their ancestral and cultivated land properly surveyed, disputed ownership claims addressed and allocations reviewed where they believe the parcels do not correspond with the land historically occupied by their families.
