- Mung’aro said landlessness is the root cause of the escalating poverty in the county.
- He said many investors have also shied away from the county due to the squatter problem.
Kilifi governor hopeful Gideon Mung’aro has said he will develop a model to address landlessness in the county.
Speaking in Kadzinuni in his Kilifi North backyard on Sunday, Mung’aro said landlessness is the root cause of the escalating poverty in the county.
“Land is the biggest enabler of development. Without land there is very little you can do in terms of development. If this county is to make any progress, then we must make sure people own land genuinely and that is only through land ownership documents,” he said.
He said many investors have also shied away from investing in the county due to the squatter problem.
Eliud Kalama who is eyeing the Kilifi North Parliamentary seat said land evictions have become an eyesore in Kilifi and should be addressed as soon as possible.
Kalama said he will not use the land issue as a campaign tool but a pledge that he promises to fulfil.
“Together with Mung’aro as the governor we will address this matter. Our people have land but no documents to prove ownership. Women and children are the most affected,” he said.
He added that most people are not ready to carry out huge investments due to the land problem.
“People are even afraid of planting long term crops because they fear bulldozers can come anytime and demolish everything. This has also dealt a big blow to our environment and livelihoods,” Kalama said.
Mung’aro who worked as a Cabinet Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Lands before being moved to Devolution, said part of his plan is to identify private land which the county will purchase and resettle squatters.
“I will do this within my 100 days in office. This is something we did while at the Ministry of Lands and it something we can do once I form the Kilifi government. I will be partnering with the National government to make sure we address the land question in Kilifi once and for all,” he added.
He said several parcels of the Mazrui land and the Mikanjuni land in Mtwapa have already been bought by the National government in similar initiatives.
“I have already identified lands where the owners are ready to sell to resettle squatters. I am borrowing this model from the National government and I will make sure we set funds to make this programme a success,” he added.
Part of the land targeted is the Kagaa farm and Kiwandani airstrip land in Kilifi.
Mung’aro was lauded for his efforts that saw the issuance of title deeds in Kadzinuni.
He also said there are large chunks of public land that have been grabbed. He sent a warning to the grabbers that he will make sure the land is reclaimed.
“We have areas where public land has been grabbed and is currently in private hands. We will make sure we take back such parcels and make use of it,” he said.