The National Land Commission (NLC) has launched a landmark report seeking to address the longstanding land ownership crisis at the Coast, including the plight of thousands of residents living on ancestral land without title deeds.
NLC Chairman Dr Abdillahi Saggaf Alawy said the Tenants-at-Will report provides a roadmap for addressing the challenges facing squatters, tenants and communities that have lived on land for generations without secure tenure.
Speaking in Mombasa during the launch of the report, Dr Alawy said the commission would use the proposed regulations to strengthen mechanisms for investigating historical land injustices and reviewing land grants and dispositions suspected to have been acquired illegally.
“The Tenants-at-Will report provides a clear roadmap towards addressing the longstanding challenges faced by communities living on ancestral land without title deeds. Through the proposed regulations, we want to ensure that historical claims are properly investigated and that legitimate land rights are protected,” he said.
The launch, co-funded by the European Union and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), also marked the beginning of public participation on two key regulations — the Historical Land Injustices (HLI) Regulations and the Review of Grants and Disposition (RGD) Regulations.
The HLI Regulations are intended to strengthen the commission’s ability to investigate and address historical land claims, while the RGD Regulations seek to provide a framework for reviewing land grants and dispositions that may have been irregularly acquired.
The process has renewed hopes among residents and descendants of historical communities in Mombasa, many of whom say they have lived on land they consider ancestral property for decades without title deeds.
Speaking during the launch former Mombasa mayor elderly Rajab Sumba said the Coast had continued to experience land ownership challenges since independence, linking the region’s problems to historical laws and land administration systems.
“We, the people of the Coast region, have been living as squatters on our own land. The injustices we have faced date back many years and continue to haunt us to this day. We thank God that President William Ruto has shown willingness to address some of these longstanding issues and help find a lasting solution,” Sumba said.
Likoni MP Mishi Mboko challenged the National Land Commission to put in place strict and effective measures to resolve the longstanding land question at the Coast.
Mboko said Members of Parliament were ready to support legislative amendments and other recommendations aimed at addressing historical land injustices and securing land rights for affected communities.
“As Members of Parliament, we are ready to help you in passing the amendments and other recommendations that will help us solve the historical land injustices. It is very unfortunate that past governments have not been able to help, but instead have made things even harder for our people,” Mboko said.
She said some of the disputed land holdings were linked to former political figures and alleged that political affiliations and connections had in some cases been used to facilitate land acquisition.
“The other sad part is that most of these lands with problems are linked to former politicians who also used dubious means to acquire them. Some used to get these lands through political affiliations and connections,” she added.
Mboko urged the NLC to ensure that the review process is transparent and leads to practical solutions for communities that have endured land disputes for generations.
