Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho issued title deeds to 1,000 Block 203 Likoni residents on Saturday.
Joho, who is expected to leave office on September 15, said the residents have been battling for their rights for more than a decade.
The residents include those of Mrima, Msufini, Maweni, Mathare and BwagaBwaga in Likoni.
“After decades of battling for land rights, the people of Likoni Block 203 have today become landowners.
"This was made possible by the partnership between the World Bank, national and county government of Mombasa and residents in the realisation of the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project,” Joho said.
The project was initiated by the government and supported by development partners in 2011 to supplement the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme.
Its main objective being to improve living conditions and strengthen the security of tenure in informal settlements in selected towns in Kenya.
It also aims to strengthen institutional capacity for slum upgrading in the country.
Last October, Joho waived off land rates for about 1,000 Mombasa residents to whom he issued title deeds.
The governor had issued about 500 title deeds to residents of Kindunguni Settlement Scheme in Likoni subcounty.
He had also issued title deeds to 407 residents of Misufini settlement scheme in Jomvu.
This was part of the second phase of the project.
Some 2,600 title deeds were issued to residents of about seven schemes spread around the county including Kisumu Ndogo, Chaani, Misufini, Kindunguni, Kwa Akasa and Vikwatani.
Joho was accompanied by the Mombasa governor-elect Abdulswamad Nassir together with MP Mishi Mboko alongside elected MCA's from Likoni.
Nassir is expected to take over the county after his swearing-in on September 15.
He said land ownership in Mombasa and the entire Coast region has been a perennial political and legal challenge for successive governments.
“Property ownership is a key driver of economic empowerment as it enables communities to pass wealth from generation to generation,” Nassir said.
The governor-elect promised to work closely with the county leadership to resolve land ownership issues in Mombasa.
Mishi lauded Joho for issuing the titles, promising to work with Nassir to end the squatter issue in Likoni.
“I would like to applaud the outgoing governor for removing the squatter tag on the residents,” she said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
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