President William Ruto has issued 31,318 title deeds to beneficiaries of land settlement schemes in Taveta, Voi and Mwatate constituencies, in a fresh push to settle long-running land ownership disputes in Taita-Taveta County. The exercise, conducted on October 1, 2026, is part of a wider government programme to formalise land ownership across the Coast region and give families who have occupied settlement land for years legal documents for their property.
Among the documents issued were 12,071 title deeds for Chawuse Community and another 12,000 for Kishamba A, two settlement schemes that have faced years of disputes and ownership wrangles. The President stated that the government was still carrying out surveys on parcels that have not gone through the titling process, paving the way for more documents to be issued.
According to the State Department for Lands, the Taita-Taveta component of the programme covers 7,690 titles benefiting 31,318 people. The programme covers Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Lamu and Tana River counties. At the Coast region level, 101,889 title deeds are ready for distribution to 192,166 beneficiaries.
The government says the initiative is meant to tackle long-standing land ownership challenges, including lack of secure tenure, disputes and difficulties faced by families living on settlement schemes without formal ownership documents. The latest exercise adds to efforts that have been ongoing across the Coast region. In May 2026, the State Department for Lands said more than 33,000 title deeds had been issued in Mombasa, Taita-Taveta, Kilifi, Kwale and Malindi.
The need for land documentation remains widespread nationally. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in its 2025 Economic Survey that title deeds accounted for 66 per cent of land parcels reported by household heads. However, 15.9 per cent of the parcels had no ownership document, while 6.9 per cent were covered by sale agreements and 3.3 per cent by allotment letters.
Alongside the land programme, Ruto announced a Sh1.08 billion investment in electricity connectivity in Taita-Taveta during the visit. “We are investing Sh1.08 billion this financial year to connect nearly 9,000 households across Taita-Taveta County to reliable electricity, creating new opportunities for homes, businesses and communities.”
The government is also working on infrastructure along the Voi-Mwatate-Taveta corridor, including rehabilitation of the metre-gauge railway connecting the region to the Kenya-Tanzania border. For Taita-Taveta, officials said survey work would continue on parcels that have not yet been processed before more title deeds can be issued.
Key points
- President William Ruto issues 31,318 title deeds to beneficiaries of land settlement schemes in Taita-Taveta County.
- The government aims to tackle long-standing land ownership challenges, including lack of secure tenure and disputes.
- The State Department for Lands targets issuing 430,000 title deeds during the 2026/27 financial year.
