COAST MPs will push for repossession of grabbed land that has the highest number of squatters in the country.Coast Parliamentary Group has called for a retreat of all leaders from South Coast to discuss land issues.
Speaking in Rabai at the weekend CPG chairman Gideon Mung'aro said the retreat slated for July 22 to 23 in South Coast will be the first joint forum for the leaders.
The meeting will involve 26 legislators and nine senators from Mombasa, Tana River, Lamu, Taita Taveta, Kwale and Kilifi.
“We have met as Coast leaders severally but this time, we will include the senators,” said Mung'aro.
Mung'aro asked residents to be steadfast in supporting local leaders.
He said land issues in the region is a big challenge and assured residents that it will be given prominence during the meeting.Mung'aro said previous meetings discussed issues like unemployment among youth, poor roads and inadequate education facilities.
He said the senators will be included in the discussion because there are other issues that are debated and deliberated in the senate.
“After this meeting we will share our findings and the new direction we will follow," he said.
Ganze MP Peter Shehe said land issues at the Coast are triggered by lack of stable land tenure.
“We need to come up with bills targeting repossession of illegally acquired parcels of land so that we address the squatter problem in this area,” said Shehe.
Shehe said they are going to explore the possibility of having both the national and county governments in addressing the issues affecting the local residents.
He said the senators have been brought on board for their central role in pushing for resources to come down to the county governments.
Shehe said the leaders are consulting on how best they can work with the National Land Commission that is charged with looking at the land historical injustices and addressing them.
About 80 per cent of the native Coast residents are landless fifty years after Kenya became independent a trend that has been cited as a foundation for the separatist Mombasa Republican Council uprising.
“In our quest to have the residents sigh with relief through having the problems faced so far minimized those responsible for pushing for resources to come to the counties must be brought on board,” he said.
Kinango MP Gonzi Rai who is presently the longest serving legislator in the area having been elected to parliament since 1992 said there must be unity of purpose if better services are to be delivered.
“Operating with an individualistic mentality has been the major drawback to our unity and consequently success in our objectives. This must come to a halt if we are to move forward,” said Rai.