Kenyatta family gives out 2,000 acres to Taita Taveta squatters

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 – The Kenyatta family has donated 2,000 of its 30,000 acres of land in Taita Taveta to squatters who Statehouse Spokesman Manoah Esipisu says will receive their title deeds in a few months time.

Esipisu made the announcement at the tail end of the President’s month long visit to the Coast during which he’s handed over about 5,000 title deeds to area residents including to over 900 squatters on the contentious Waitiki land.

Land has been a major theme of the addresses the President has delivered at the coast. He reiterated time and again that his administration was committed to resolving the historical land injustices that have plagued the region.

A theme which Esipisu ran with in a press briefing on Thursday: “The President has promised to deliver the land answer to the land question, and at Mtwapa again he promised to look at cases involving 21 settlements with similar issues as the Waitiki land.”

READ: Finally, squatters on Waitiki farm get title deeds

President Kenyatta has pledged a return to the region with a focus on Kwale, Tana River and Taita Taveta.

He’s also committed to refurbishing and to “re-tool,” the Jomo Kenyatta Primary School in Mtwapa which was named after his father. “The President is leading an initiative to raise funds to renovate the school, which is close to his heart,” Esipisu said.

The time President Kenyatta has spent at the Coast, Esipisu said, has been intended to restore confidence in the region whose tourism sector was hard hit by sporadic terror activity.

Infrastructure has also featured prominently during the President’s Coastal stay with him commissioning a number of road projects and a Sh7.6 billion lighting project in addition to pledging Sh200 million to better equip county health facilities in Lamu and Tana River.

READ: Uhuru launches Sh7.6bn street lighting project

During his stay, he continued to carry out his administrative duties including effecting changes at the Kenya Ferry Services and appointing Richard Ndubai as National Youth Service Director General to replace Nelson Githinji who is fighting off graft charges.

READ: Former PS sworn-in as new NYS Director-General

“In the coming months, the President will continue to work from other counties outside of our nation’s capital Nairobi.” Esipisu capped off. “So, expect to see the President in a town and county near you soon.”

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