- In Kisauni, where the Head of State kicked off his tour, thousands of families are living as squatters in Gandini, Maunguja, Kashani and Ugatuzi areas.
- President Ruto directed Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to visit the area on Saturday to engage the affected locals and find an amicable solution.
President William Ruto on Wednesday during the first day of his five-day Coast tour came face to face with the emotive issue of landlessness, as residents and leaders demanded that the issue be addressed.
In Kisauni, where the head of state begun his tour, thousands of families are living as squatters in Gandini, Maunguja, Kashani and Ugatuzi areas.
The land in contention Gandini, Maunguja, Kashani (Gamaka) is 4,100 acres and over 10,000 families are said to be currently living in the area.
The Ugatuzi residents have expressed concern over the actions of a private investor who intends to evict them from the 100-acre parcel.
The over 2,000 families residing on the land claim that the said investor had planned to kick them out of the land so that it could be auctioned, despite an ongoing court case filed in 2020.
Thousands of residents have already been served with eviction notices.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba and Bamburi MCA Patrick Mbelle were among the leaders who petitioned the President to tackle the issue.
President Ruto directed Lands CS Alice Wahome to visit the area on Saturday to engage the affected residents and find an amicable solution.
“Lands CS will be here on Saturday. We need to get a solution,” Ruto said.
At the same time, Ruto said the Kenya Kwanza government has set aside a Sh1 billion special fund to buy land from absentee landlords at the Coast to resettle the hundreds of thousands of squatters in the region.
Ruto is expected to stay in Mombasa for five days, where he will tour Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties.
On Wednesday afternoon, the head of state commissioned the 33km Bamburi - Mwakirunge - Rabai - Kaloleni Road, which will link Mombasa and Kilifi counties.
The road, which is now at 20 per cent, is expected to cost Sh2 billion upon completion.
On Thursday, the President is expected to host King Charles III at Mtongwe Naval Base for a programme of Kenya’s first Marine Commando Unit that was trained by British Royal Marines.
He will also head to Kwale for the commissioning of an electricity mini-grid at Wasini Island and the groundbreaking of Shimoni Fish Port before issuing grants to the fisheries community at Shimoni.
Later, the head of state will tour the Dongo Kundu bypass, which is almost complete.
On Friday, the President chaired a Cabinet meeting at State House Mombasa in the morning.
He will later at noon preside over the Kenya Revenue Authority Taxpayers' Day at Sarova Whitesands Hotel. He will then head to Kilifi for the commissioning of the Last Mile Electricity project in Ganze.
On Saturday, the head of state will head to Lamu county for the commissioning of Lamu East Road.
He will then head to Tana River county for the commissioning of the Bura Irrigation Scheme and Galole Gravity Water Project and later issue grants to the fishing community in the region.
On Sunday, he will lead an inter-denominational prayer service in Mombasa.