Land debate dominates hunt for 1.7 million Coast votes

Some of the nearly 6,000 squatters claiming ownership of the 314 acres of land at Hussein Dairy Farm in Mombasa are led by their MCA Riziki Bafundi (in striped T-shirt) in demonstrations to demand that the land be sub-divided and allocated to them. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • According to President Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and their lieutenants, Nasa principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula did nothing to address the squatter issue and landlessness at the Coast.
  • Nasa top gun James Orengo, the Jubilee team opines, too, failed to address the issue when he was Lands minister.
  • The Jubilee administration says it has issued thousands of title deeds to Coast residents and resettled squatters since 2013.
  • The Ndung’u-led Commission on Land cited the region as one where prominent political families, who mostly live upcountry, own most of the prime land.

Land is emerging as a key campaign issue in the battle for the more than 1.7 million votes in the coast region’s six counties, as the clock ticks towards the August 8 General Election.

While the National Super Alliance (Nasa) accuses the Jubilee administration of failing to address historical land injustices in the region, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto retort that the opposition leaders did nothing on the same matter while they were in government.

According to President Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and their lieutenants, Nasa principals Raila Odinga, who is a former Prime Minister, Kalonzo Musyoka (former Vice-President) and Moses Wetang’ula (former Foreign Affairs minister) did nothing to address the squatter issue and landlessness at the Coast.

Nasa top gun James Orengo, the Jubilee team opines, too, failed to address the issue when he was Lands minister.

The exchange between Nasa and Jubilee over land is bound to continue as President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto start another round of visits of the Coast counties today.

STANDARD GAUGE RAILWAY

The Head of State and Mr Ruto are also set to launch the standard gauge railway on May 31.

The Jubilee duo start their four-day whirlwind tour in Lamu before heading to Tana River, Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa and Taita-Taveta counties.

The five Nasa principals-Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang’ula and Isaac Ruto re-scheduled their rallies that were to start in Mombasa last Sunday to June 8 in a bid to “white-wash” the effects of the tout by the Jubilee bigwigs.

The Jubilee administration says it has issued thousands of title deeds to Coast residents and resettled squatters since 2013.

ODM deputy party leader Hassan Joho, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and his Taita-Taveta counterpart John Mruttu — who has since defected from ODM to vie as an independent candidate after he lost in the primaries — however, say despite locals getting some title deeds, they want huge chunks of land owned by the big fish distributed to squatters and landless.

HIGH POVERTY

The top Jubilee leaders, the opposition said, were unable to address the land issues affecting locals that have resulted in high poverty levels as they either own the huge farms or they belong to their families.

“Let me tell you: If you are waiting for President Kenyatta to address land problems, you are like a passenger waiting for a train at the airport; it will never come,” Mr Kingi told a rally recently.

He asked the residents to vote out the Jubilee administration, saying Mr Odinga was the only one who could address the land problem effectively if he becomes president.

Speaking in Tana River, Lamu and Taita-Taveta counties during rallies to consolidate ODM support and vouch for Mr Odinga to be president, Mr Joho, Mr Mruttu and Mr Kingi regretted that Coast residents have been made squatters in their own land.

They accused the Jubilee Party henchmen of lying to Tana River residents that one million acres will be put under irrigation at the Galana Kulalu farm to end frequent famine in the area.

SUFFERED SETBACK

ODM is facing a vicious onslaught from Jubilee, with President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto often camping at the Coast dishing out goodies to locals and appealing for their backing.

ODM won most of the votes at the Coast in 2013 polls. But the party suffered a setback following defection of a number of its leaders to JP and other outfits.

Nasa affiliate parties including Wiper, ANC and Ford-K have also been burning the mid night oil, scheming on how to wrest the region from ODM’s grip.

In Mombasa, Governor Joho is facing a tough contest from JP, Wiper and Vibrant Democratic Party candidates in his bid to retain his seat.

Mr Joho said he fell out with President Kenyatta over the way squatters in Waitiki Farm in Likoni were treated by the national government.

In Kwale, Governor Salim Mvurya showed ODM the door and settled for JP, throwing the fight for the gubernatorial seat wide open.

DENIED GRAZING LAND

They regretted that pastoralists had been denied grazing land while whereabouts of maize harvested from the irrigation scheme were unknown.

President Kenyatta’s government, his critics add, have failed to implement the Ndung’u land report and the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission findings that could have helped address historical land injustices.

The Ndung’u-led Commission on Land cited the region as one where prominent political families, who mostly live upcountry, own most of the prime land.

The result of the injustices in land distribution is the growing population of landless indigenous inhabitants, who are now being manipulated by groups like the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council for political gains.

ABSENTEE LANDLORDS

A comprehensive report by the Ministry of Lands in 2009 showed that absentee landlords posed the biggest problem at the Coast where they owned 77,700 hectares, almost the size of a county.

Kwale led with 75,000 hectares under absentee landlords, followed by Kilifi with 1235 hectares, Mombasa 301 hectares, and Malindi 234 hectares.

Mombasa led in the number of squatters at the Coast, followed by Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu and Taita Taveta and Lamu.

In Mombasa, Mr Joho said he fell out with President Uhuru Kenyatta over the way the Waitiki Farm squatters were treated by the national government.

Mr Joho said he and the Head of State differed after he questioned why the squatters were being asked to pay for their title deeds after the government paid off Mr Evanson Kamau Waitiki and divided the land among the locals.

DISPUTES

“The President was categorical the squatters had to pay because Coast residents did not vote for him,” Mr Joho said of the allocation of more than 900 acres to squatters, ending a decades-long dispute.

Land is also a key campaign issue at the Coast due to major Vision 2030 projects being implemented in the region including Lamu Port South Sudan Transport (Lapsset) corridor and Lamu Port.

ODM is facing a vicious onslaught from Jubilee Party with President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto often camping at the Coast dishing out goodies to locals and appealing for their backing.

ODM won most of the votes at the Coast in 2013 polls.

WRESTLE REGION

The party suffered a setback following defection of a number of its leaders to JP and other outfits.

Nasa affiliate parties including Wiper, ANC and Ford-K have also been burning mid night oil to wrestle the region from the Orange party.

In Mombasa, Governor Joho is facing a tough contest from JP, Wiper and VDP candidates in his bid to retain his seat.

Mr Kingi and Mr Mruttu are facing similar contests in Kilifi and Taita Taveta counties.

In Kwale, Governor Salim Mvurya showed ODM the door and settled on JP throwing the fight for the gubernatorial seat wide open.