Kenya targets 200,000-plus Coast title deeds by December

Mombasa - More than 200,000 residents of Kenya's Coast region are expected to receive title deeds by December as the government moves to issue ownership documents to families who have lived for years without formal proof of their land, Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir has said.

Korir, who spoke in Mombasa after meeting the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Lands, said the government would speed up the titling exercise and continue acquiring land for settlement in areas where communities have unresolved ownership problems. "Many people at the Coast have stayed on their land for years without proper documentation," he said, adding that the government would identify communities that qualify for settlement land and acquire and transfer the property to them.

The planned exercise follows the issuance of thousands of title deeds to Coast residents earlier this year. In May, President William Ruto issued more than 33,000 title deeds covering parts of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Taita Taveta. Among the documents issued were 6,175 titles in Malindi, 5,833 in Taita Taveta, 1,900 in Kwale and 1,580 in Kilifi, while Mombasa received 865 title deeds covering the Kadzandani A and B settlement schemes and the Manoni Settlement Scheme.

The government has previously linked the titling programme to efforts to address historical land grievances and squatter settlements at the Coast, where land ownership has remained a sensitive issue for many communities. In May, the State said it was also negotiating the acquisition of land from absentee landlords to facilitate the settlement of families without secure ownership, a programme it said could benefit about 200,000 households in the region.

Korir said issuing title deeds would give residents legal proof of ownership and reduce disputes over land. The documents could also enable beneficiaries to use their property for economic purposes, including seeking loans and investing in developments, although access to credit would still depend on individual lenders' requirements. The Lands Ministry has been carrying out surveys and adjudication in several parts of the Coast before titles can be prepared and issued.