A section of Kwale County residents have handed back land ownership documents recently issued by the national government, citing serious discrepancies, disputed boundaries, and unexpected financial demands. The affected locals claim that several ownership certificates stipulate that extra charges must be settled before the titles become fully valid, contradicting initial assurances from state officials that all processing fees had been cleared prior to the handover.
According to the residents, their deeds explicitly state that they are incomplete until certain fees are settled, yet they were told everything had been paid for during the handover ceremony. Because these documents look defective, they have decided to surrender them. Local resident John Kassim from Lungalunga expressed concerns over the documentation issues, highlighting the need for clarification.
Financial institutions have also cast doubt on the paperwork, with some beneficiaries reporting that commercial banks declined to accept the newly-issued titles as collateral for loans, citing questions over their legal standing and appraised value. This development has left the residents in a precarious situation, unable to utilize their land titles as expected.
Beyond the hidden costs and documentation issues, residents raised alarms over plot dimensions, discovering that their assigned acreage was far smaller than the ancestral land they have cultivated for generations. In several instances, families that previously held large tracts were allocated plots measuring merely 50 by 100 feet.
The community also flagged arbitrary subdivisions, noting that growing households were crammed onto fragmented parcels while some indigenous occupants were omitted entirely from the registry. These irregularities have sparked tensions among the residents, who are demanding corrective action from the government.
The unrest stems from an ambitious land titling initiative launched in October by President William Ruto, who distributed more than 94,000 title deeds across Kwale County—including over 26,000 in Lunga Lunga Constituency. The programme forms part of a wider pledge to deliver 500,000 titles across the Coast region by late 2026 to resolve historic squatter grievances.
With tensions mounting, the residents are urging President Ruto to step in personally, revoke the compromised documents, and ensure that accurate, unencumbered titles matching their genuine land holdings are issued. The residents' concerns highlight the need for a thorough review of the land titling process to prevent similar irregularities in the future.
Key points
- Kwale residents return land titles due to irregularities, including hidden costs and disputed boundaries.
- The land titling initiative aimed to resolve historic squatter grievances, but has been marred by controversy.
- Residents are urging President Ruto to revoke the compromised documents and issue accurate titles.
