President Ruto Delivers on Coast Land Promise as 26,000 Title Deeds Issued to Lunga Lunga Residents
Kwale, September 28, 2026
Thousands of residents of Lunga Lunga, Kwale County, have taken a major step towards secure land ownership following the issuance of 26,000 title deeds by President William Samoei Ruto at Kibaoni.
The milestone marks a significant step in the Government’s ongoing efforts to address longstanding land ownership challenges at the Coast and fulfil its commitment to secure land rights for communities that have lived for decades without formal documentation.
Speaking during the title deed issuance ceremony, President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to resolving historical land challenges in the Coast Region, noting that lack of formal land ownership has contributed to displacement, insecurity and prolonged disputes.
“Today, we are issuing 26,000 title deeds, and I will come back before the end of the year to issue more titles. Our target is to issue 500,000 title deeds,” President Ruto said.
The President said the Government had listened to the concerns of Coast residents and was determined to provide a lasting solution to the region’s land question.
“As I made a commitment to you, the issue of land in the Coast Region has made our people live as squatters for many years. We now have a solution,” he said.
He further assured residents that beneficiaries should not be asked to pay for the titles, emphasizing that the Government had catered for the costs involved in the titling process.
“Your titles have been paid for. Let no one ask you for money,” President Ruto told the residents.
The President said the Government was also addressing the broader economic potential of the Coast Region, including investment in the Port of Mombasa and the blue economy, particularly fisheries, as part of efforts to expand economic opportunities for coastal communities.
The Lunga Lunga issuance is part of a wider Coast Region titling programme covering Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties.
Across the region, 101,889 title deeds are ready for issuance, covering 192,166 beneficiaries. In Kwale alone, the programme covers 94,175 beneficiaries across Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango constituencies.
The Government’s wider land programme is expected to generate 199,296 titles through ongoing adjudication, community land registration and settlement programmes, securing tenure for more than 400,000 households while protecting communal land and heritage.
In Kwale, the progress has been particularly significant, with programmes covering Lunga Lunga, Msambweni, Matuga and Kinango. So far, 51,131 title deeds have been issued to 94,175 beneficiaries across the county.
The process has also focused on historically underserved areas, including Lunga Lunga Block 1, Ramisi, Kanana, Mkono wa Ndugu, Gombato, Mwereni and Kichaka Mkwaju.
Across the Coast, the Government is also addressing the plight of landless families and squatters through acquisition and settlement programmes. In areas where planning, surveying, enumeration and verification have been completed, settlement schemes have been registered and title issuance is now progressing.
The scale of the programme is reflected across the six counties. Kilifi has 27,838 titles ready for 36,826 beneficiaries, Taita Taveta has 7,690 titles for 31,318 beneficiaries, Mombasa has 4,360 titles for 4,360 beneficiaries, while Lamu has 8,153 titles under programmes covering 22,770 beneficiaries. Tana River has 1,866 titles for 1,866 beneficiaries.
For residents who have waited for years for formal recognition of their land rights, however, the significance of the numbers goes beyond statistics.
Speaking during the ceremony, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi described the occasion as historic, saying the issuance of title deeds represented an important step towards addressing longstanding land injustices at the Coast.
“We thank President William Ruto for taking deliberate steps to address the historical land injustices that have affected our people for many years. These title deeds will give our people security of tenure and the confidence to invest in their land,” Kingi said.
Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Generali Nixon Korir said the issuance of the titles demonstrated the Government’s determination to translate its commitment on land reforms into tangible outcomes for citizens.
“Today is a significant moment for the people of Lunga Lunga and the Coast Region. For many years, families have lived on land without the security that comes with a title deed. We are now seeing that situation change,” said PS Korir.
He said the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning would continue working with communities, county governments and other stakeholders to complete the remaining processes and ensure that eligible beneficiaries receive their ownership documents.
The Coast titling programme represents an ongoing transformation, with surveyors, land adjudication officers and other technical teams continuing fieldwork, verification, planning and registration to unlock land ownership for communities across the region.
The event was attended by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports Salim Mvurya, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, Senator Issa Boi, Kwale Woman Representative Fatuma Masito and Members of Parliament including Feisal Bader of Msambweni, Samuel Gonzi of Kinango, Mangale Chiforomodo of Lunga Lunga and Kassim Tandaza of Matuga, among other leaders.
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