President William Ruto is poised to distribute nearly 200,000 title deeds throughout the Coast region and kick off the construction of a new refinery in Lamu as he embarks on a development tour of six counties starting Saturday.
The tour will encompass Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River, and Lamu counties, where Ruto aims to evaluate the progress of government initiatives and discuss development priorities with local leaders and residents.
This issuance of title deeds is part of a broader government initiative to distribute 500,000 land ownership documents in the Coast region, tackling longstanding issues related to squatter settlements and historical land disputes.
Ruto will begin his tour in Taita-Taveta County, where he plans to hand out 31,318 title deeds to the residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies.
On Monday, he will move to Kwale County, distributing 94,175 title deeds to beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni, and Kinango constituencies.
In Kilifi County, the President is set to allocate 36,826 title deeds to residents in Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Kilifi South, and Malindi constituencies.
Mombasa County will receive an additional 4,360 title deeds, while Lamu and Tana River counties will see 22,770 documents distributed to beneficiaries.
The government asserts that this programme aims to address historical and administrative land issues in the region, granting beneficiaries formal ownership documents and enhancing their security of tenure.
These title deeds are also expected to empower landowners to leverage their properties for economic activities and investments.
Throughout the tour, President Ruto will inaugurate completed development projects, assess ongoing initiatives, and launch new programs across the six counties.
A significant highlight will be the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed $16 billion (approximately KSh2 trillion) East Africa Refinery in Lamu.
This ambitious project is expected to be a collaboration between the Kenyan government and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote.
According to government plans, the refinery will process crude oil sourced from Lokichar in Turkana County and provide refined petroleum products to markets across East and Central Africa.
The facility is anticipated to bolster Kenya’s energy security by enhancing the supply of petroleum products while creating over 500,000 jobs.
