Kwale Residents Reject Ruto Title Deeds, Demand Their Ancestral Land Back

Some residents in Kwale have rejected title deeds issued during President William Ruto’s recent Coast tour, saying the documents do not reflect the size of land their families have occupied for generations.

More than 26,000 title deeds were issued during the tour, with the government promising to issue more documents to rightful landowners.

However, some residents say the acreage captured in their titles is far smaller than the land they have traditionally occupied.

Buda Mbwana from Anzwani village called for the disputed titles to be revoked and fresh adjudication carried out based on ancestral boundaries.

Mbwana said residents appreciate the government’s efforts to formalise land ownership but questioned why some families received tiny parcels despite living on larger pieces of land for generations.

He cited cases where families received plots measuring about 50 by 100 feet or even smaller.

Dala Enea from Gazi Township said some families were being treated like squatters despite having lived on the land for generations.

“It is unfair for families with large ancestral parcels to receive titles covering less than a quarter of an acre,” Enea said.

Mwatime Ali from Anzwani also questioned why long time residents were being classified as squatters.

He said families should receive titles for the ancestral land they have traditionally occupied instead of being given smaller parcels through squatter settlement programmes.

Ali also raised concerns about the adjudication process, claiming that some parcels had been allocated to more than one person.

He said this had created confusion and could lead to future land disputes.

Residents further accused surveyors and officials of ignoring traditional boundaries and creating new ones that fragmented ancestral land into smaller portions.

They claimed the process had left some genuine local residents without their traditional land while outsiders were allocated land in areas occupied by local families.

Pili Rajab, a resident of Tumbe, warned that the situation could become worse if the disputes are not addressed.

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