President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned that the government will repossess all grabbed land across the country.
He told grabbers to return the parcels before they are evicted.
The President said private developers have grabbed public parcels and fish landing sites at the Coast and around Lake Victoria.
“We shall not plead with land grabbers to return public land. They must do so immediately before we embark on an exercise to reclaim them forcefully,” Uhuru warned in Mombasa during the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service.
The service will improve security and increase efficiency in protection of maritime resources. It is a multi-agency security service established under the Kenya Coast Guard Service Act, 2018, to enforce law and order in Kenya’s territorial waters.
Uhuru directed the National Land Commission and the Fisheries department to recover the plots before March next year.
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Uhuru said the Liwatoni jetty, on which the Kenya Coast Guard Service headquarters has been established, had been grabbed by One Holding Limited, but has been returned to the government.
“I wish to thank One Holding Limited for voluntarily returning Liwatoni to the government for its rightful use,” he said.
Meanwhile, the President warned Cabinet secretaries and government officials against laxity and being obsessed with media publicity. He told them to focus on their work.
He said he was able to commission the Coast Guard Service with limited resources and CSs should do the same.
“The Cabinet secretaries must leave their offices and get to work. They should not be obsessed with media coverage and publicity for whatever they do. We want to see them on the ground doing what they are supposed to do as public servants,” he said.
Uhuru also signed two Executive Orders establishing the Bandari Maritime College and the Kenya Fishing Industry Corporation.
He said the Kenya Coast Guard Service, the Kenya Fishing Industry Corporation and the Bandari Maritime Academy will help revive the Kenyan maritime sector.
“We can now tap on over Sh10 billion that we’ve been losing annually for failing to tap on our blue economy,” he said.
Also present were DP William Ruto, Coast governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Granton Samboja (Taita Taveta), Fahim Twaha (Lamu), Dhado Godana (Tana River) and Salim Mvurya of Kwale. Legislators and Cabinet secretaries also attended.