President William Ruto has issued 31,318 title deeds to beneficiaries of land settlement schemes in Taveta, Voi and Mwatate constituencies, in a fresh push to settle long-running land ownership disputes in Taita-Taveta County.
The exercise, conducted on Thursday, is part of a wider government programme to formalise land ownership across the Coast region and give families who have occupied settlement land for years legal documents for their property.
Among the documents issued were 12,071 title deeds for Chawuse Community and another 12,000 for Kishamba A, two settlement schemes that have faced years of disputes and ownership wrangles.
“The documents include 12,071 title deeds for Chawuse Community and 12,000 for Kishamba A, two schemes that have for years been plagued by land disputes and ownership wrangles,” Ruto stated.
The President said the government was still carrying out surveys on parcels that have not gone through the titling process, paving the way for more documents to be issued.
“Survey work is continuing on the remaining parcels across the county as we accelerate efforts to secure land ownership and unlock the full economic potential in the county.”
According to the State Department for Lands, the Taita-Taveta component of the programme covers 7,690 titles benefiting 31,318 people.
Residents of Taita-Taveta County during the issuance of 31,318 title deeds to residents of land settlement schemes across Taveta, Voi and Mwatate constituencies by President William Ruto on October 1, 2026. PHOTO/PCS
At the Coast region level, 101,889 title deeds are ready for distribution to 192,166 beneficiaries. The programme covers Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Lamu and Tana River counties.
The government says the initiative is meant to tackle long-standing land ownership challenges, including lack of secure tenure, disputes and difficulties faced by families living on settlement schemes without formal ownership documents.
The latest exercise adds to efforts that have been ongoing across the Coast region. In May 2026, the State Department for Lands said more than 33,000 title deeds had been issued in Mombasa, Taita-Taveta, Kilifi, Kwale and Malindi.
The department said the earlier exercise was aimed at giving land ownership security to families that had lived for decades without formal documents.
The need for land documentation remains widespread nationally.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in its 2025 Economic Survey that title deeds accounted for 66 per cent of land parcels reported by household heads. However, 15.9 per cent of the parcels had no ownership document, while 6.9 per cent were covered by sale agreements and 3.3 per cent by allotment letters.
The State Department for Lands has also reported progress in the national titling programme. In its review of the 2025/26 financial year, the department said it had processed and issued 190,700 title deeds against a target of 420,000.
It also reported that 13.2 million title deeds had been issued across the country since Independence.
In Taita-Taveta, the ongoing process includes land registration, adjudication, settlement and surveying of parcels.
The State Department has land offices in Wundanyi, Taveta and Voi, which handle registration, adjudication and settlement, administration, valuation and survey services.
Alongside the land programme, Ruto announced a Sh1.08 billion investment in electricity connectivity in Taita-Taveta during the visit.
“We are investing Sh1.08 billion this financial year to connect nearly 9,000 households across Taita-Taveta County to reliable electricity, creating new opportunities for homes, businesses and communities.”
The President launched the Iperanyi-Mwandala Last Mile Electricity Connectivity Project in Mwatate Constituency and also inspected progress at the Mwatunge Modern Market.
The planned electricity connections are expected to improve access for households, businesses and community facilities while supporting other infrastructure projects in the county.
The government is also working on infrastructure along the Voi-Mwatate-Taveta corridor, including rehabilitation of the metre-gauge railway connecting the region to the Kenya-Tanzania border.
The Coast land-titling programme has continued to expand in recent months. In September, the government issued 26,000 title deeds in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County, as it pursued a wider programme expected to generate 199,296 titles through land adjudication, community land registration and settlement programmes.
For Taita-Taveta, officials said survey work would continue on parcels that have not yet been processed before more title deeds can be issued.
The government says the process will give beneficiaries formal proof of ownership, reduce uncertainty over land and allow registered owners to use their property for investment and other economic activities.
Secure land rights are listed among the key goals of the State Department for Lands' 2023–2027 strategic plan, alongside expansion of the national land cadastre and improvement of land registration services.
The department has set a target of issuing 430,000 title deeds during the 2026/27 financial year