Ruto says Raila cannot solve land issue in coast

Deputy President William Ruto told off Cord leader Raila Odinga for saying the only way to resolve historical land injustices in the coastal region was through the courts.

Mr Ruto, addressing women's groups at Caltex grounds in Likoni sub-county on Saturday, scoffed at the opposition’s thinking that they would use the land issue to “hoard the coastal people in Cord”.

“They have no answer to your land problem. They have questions for it but we have the answers for the historical injustices and squatters’ problem,” he said adding that before the close of the year the government would issue 400,000 title deeds to residents in the region.

Turning to the 930-acre Waitiki farm, Mr Ruto asked the Coast people why the former prime minister, under whose docket the Lands ministry fell, did not resolve the land dispute.

Instead, according to the deputy president, it was during Mr Odinga’s tenure that the Lamu people lost more than 500,000 acres of their ancestral land to private developers, land grabbers and land speculators.

“When the other side comes here can you ask them to explain that because the Lands ministry was under his supervision,” he said.

Enumerating goods for the region, Mr Ruto said the government had set aside Sh1 billion to expand two hospitals in Mombasa with latest healthcare facilities such as X-ray and dialysis machines and intensive care unit facilities.

The facilities, he added, would be officially launched by the President next month saying this would cut off visits to Nairobi or India for the treatment of kidney and cancer diseases.

“That is not the end of story. We intend to expand the Port of Mombasa with Sh30 billion and use another Sh100 billion to set up special economic zones and free port to attract investors and investments,” he said.

To deal with the unemployed youths, the DP promised to recruit 900 youths from Likoni to join other 20,000 colleagues to train with the National Youth Service.

‘EMPTY WORDS’

“There’s no politics that lacks development. Empty words, petty politics and divisive politics on ethnic lines do not have space in the Kenya today that is why Jubilee has come up with a unifying party for all Kenyans,” he said.

He took a swipe at the Cord leader for his views on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) conducting party primaries saying it was a professional entity that could ensure peaceful nominations. “If you cannot trust IEBC with nominations and it is the same IEBC that will conduct elections, you must be questionable,” he said.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said next year’s political contest would pit the nationalists against tribalists. According to him, Mr Odinga had perfected the art of “bulkanising Kenyans into tribal outfits”.

“Next year’s elections, inshallah, will be a contest between those who believe and do what the people of Kenya want and those who speak, speak, speak with the hope to divide Kenyans into tribal cocoons,” he added.

Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro warned the coastal people to be wary of the opposition’s divisive politics.

“Although the region gave ODM many seats, I was the first to be thrown out as minority chief whip, then others from Coast were shown the door and now my brother Ababu Namwamba has been hounded out of the secretary-general position,” he claimed.

He criticised Mr Odinga for alleging that the government was issuing fake title deeds challenging him to produce ‘genuine’ ones he issued during his tenure as PM.

And, speaking during a church funds drive at Barani Secondary School in Malindi, Mr Ruto urged Coast residents to rally behind the government to achieve more.

The DP said the government proceeded with its responsibility of developing the area despite losing the Malindi parliamentary by-election in March.

“Even though our candidate Philip Charo lost in the by-election after getting 9,000 votes, that did not discourage us from fulfilling our pledges,” he said.

He said in order to boost tourism in Malindi, Watamu, Kilifi and Gede, the government had allocated Sh130 million for street lighting and Sh400 million for expansion of airport.

Reporting by Charles Lwanga, Mwakera Mwajefa and Hamisi Ngoa.