THE controversy over the planned issuance of 60,000 titles to Coast residents took a new twist amid allegations that some of those opposed had failed to get their names included in the list of beneficiaries.
The allegations were made by the Mijikenda Youth Forum patron Nyonga wa Makemba who claimed that senators, governors and MPs had travelled to Nairobi to seek favors from Lands Secretary Charity Ngilu who then referred them to address their concerns and requests to Deputy President William Ruto.
Mungaro however denied the claims and said he supported the plan to issue the title deeds. "It is good thing that he (Uhuru) is giving them at the start of his term, so that if there are any questions, we will be able to investigate them as he will still be in office. This is not about politics it is about the issues of region and it is high time people get the titles,” said Mungaro and expressed hopes that those allotted land in the Sosobora and Chakama schemes in Malindi would be among the beneficiaries.
“We should work with the govermnet of the day to solve problems. That is what we were elected to do. We voted for Cord and failed. We should accept and move on. If the leaders opposed to this are serious, they should be in a position to know who the beneficiaries in their areas are since all the documents emanate from the region, before they are taken to Nairobi for stamping,” Mung'aro said.
Cord leaders have threatened they will boycott the Friday event where Preesident Uhuru Kenyatta is scheduled to issue the titles. Instead, they have said they will hold a simultaneous rally if the ceremony is not postponed to allow for consultations.
Leaders from Lamu, Kilifi and Kwale counties have already made known their objection to the handing over of the title deeds until the list of recipients if properly scrutinized, an audit conducted to confirm they are genuine squatters and proper consultations held.
Yesterday, the Mombasa Cord leaders led by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir, Rashid Bendzimba from Kisauni, the Jomvu MP Badi Twalib and the Nyali MP Hezron Awiti accused the government of circumventing the National Land commission which has been established to deal with land matters.
The leaders, who issued their statement at the office of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, also accused the government of ignoring them and other local leaders in identifying and ensuring that only genuine squatters were issued with title deeds.
Also present was the deputy governor Hazel Katana,the Mombasa county assembly speaker Thaddeus Rwajayi, and the county executive land and housing executive secretary Francis Thoya.
They expressed fears that majority of the 3,407 title deeds for land in Mombasa will lock out genuine squatters in favor of ‘outsiders’. “We demand to know who is benefiting from the title deeds, which areas and why the National Land Commission was bypassed in the process,” said Abdulswamad expressing concerns that the issue might spark chaos unless the process was made transparent and above board.
Yesterday the NLC chairman Mohammed Swazuri said he was aware about the concerns being raised by the coast leaders and had already received letters of protest from the Kilifi, Kwale governors.
"All we were doing is providing the government with the technical advise. The decision as to who will be issued with title deeds lies with the Cabinet Secretary in charge of lands.
Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba said unless the process, criteria used and list of beneficiaries was made public, the leaders would organize a simultaneous rally to tell the coast people they are being taken for a ride again.
“Let names of beneficiaries be made public so that we know who the beneficiaries are. This could be a scheme to lock out genuine local people who deserve titles,” Bedzimba added.
There are numerous and long running disputes over land in Mombasa due to the high number of absentee landlords and mismanagement of land by previous regimes which has seen coast province record the highest number of people living as squatters.
Attempts to enforce court orders and evict squatters from such places as the 930-acre Waitiki farm in Likoni, Dunga Unuse land and Kwa Bulo among others have always failed due to concerns that forced evictions might spiral out of control.
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