• The port privatisation issue, land problems, agriculture, health, education, affordable housing, and blue economy were 'candidly discussed'
• The meeting came barely three weeks since coast leaders met in Nairobi to plan on meeting with President Ruto
Image: PCS
President William Ruto yesterday hosted Coast governors and elected leaders at State House Mombasa for closed-door meeting to discuss issues affecting the region.
Speaking during the Inter-Denominational Thanksgiving prayer at Mama Ngina Waterfront Park afterwards, Ruto said the Coast leaders presented several issues that they want the Kenya Kwanza government to address.
“We had a candid conversation around the issue of land. I had promised that I would resolve these issues of land at the Coast because we have answers to the land question,” Ruto said.
The meeting was attended by governors Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi) and Dhadho Godhana (Tana River).
Also present were Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, CSs Salim Mvurya (Blue Economy), Aisha Jumwa (Gender) and a host of elected and appointed leaders.
The meeting came barely three weeks after Coast leaders met in Nairobi to plan on a meeting with the President.
The President said issues discussed include the port privatisation issue, land problems, agriculture, health, education, affordable housing and blue economy.
Ruto said his government has already sent in surveyors to the Kwa Bullo Settlement Scheme in Nyali, and soon the residents will be given title deeds.
“Nyali MP (Mohammed Ali) has ever been on my case because of Kwa Bullo. The more than 10,000 families that are living in that area will soon receive their title deeds,” he said.
On Wednesday, during the first day of his five-day tour of the Coast, the President also pledged to resolve the land issues in the larger Kisauni constituency.
In Kisauni, thousands of families are living as squatters in Gandini, Maunguja, Kashani and Ugatuzi areas. They have already been issued with eviction notices.
In Gandini, Maunguja and Kashani, which is more than 4,100 acres, there are more than 10,000 families living in the area.
In Ugatuzi, more than 2,000 families residing on the 100-acre land have expressed deep concerns over the actions of a private investor who intends to evict them.
On Sunday, President Ruto reiterated that his government has set aside Sh1 billion in the Settlement Trust Fund (STF) to buy land for absentee landlords to resettle the landless persons in the region.
“I have committed myself, I have every plan to ensure that that issues of lands in this region are resolved. We will buy land from the absentee landlords and resettle our people,” he said.
The President also said the government is planning to build three affordable housing projects in Mombasa county that will be funded through the Housing Department.
On Friday, the Head of State presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for phase one of the Mzizima Housing Project’s 2,000 units, and the second phase of 1,400 units of the Buxton Point Housing project, both in Mvita.
Yesterday, Ruto said the Mombasa government has already provided land for another housing project in Likoni.
He also said the national government will also take over part of the 22-acre land owned by KBC at the VOK area of Nyali to put up more units of affordable housing and a new market in Mombasa.
On agriculture, the President said the coastal region has over the years been an importer of agricultural products despite the large arable acres of land in the region.
“Coast region has become a net importer of food. We want to change the region to become a net exporter of food,” Ruto said.
On Saturday, Ruto commissioned the Integrated Fruit Processing Plant Hola in Tana River, which has created 200 jobs and trained more than 1,000 farmers on best agricultural practices.
He said promoting value addition and strengthening the production capacity is also a way to increase Kenya’s participation in global markets, boost exports and earn foreign exchange.
He also commissioned the Korakora main canal at Nanighi in the Bura Irrigation Scheme, which will increase land under irrigation from 12,000 acres to 25,000 acres.
The project will also improve production by 950,000 bags of rice and 500,000 bags of maize a year, the President said.
“This expansion will also generate more than 120,000 jobs and boost our economy by Sh5 billion annually,” he said.