State House Announces Ruto's 6-County Coast Tour [Details]

President William Ruto will begin a development tour of the Coast region on Saturday, September 26.

In a statement on Friday, September 25, State House said Ruto will visit Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu counties. 

According to State House, he will assess progress on government projects and engage residents and local leaders on development priorities.

State House said Ruto will issue nearly 200,000 title deeds during the tour, providing land ownership documents to beneficiaries across the six counties.

"President William Ruto will issue nearly 200,000 title deeds across the Coast region and launch construction of a new refinery in Lamu as he begins a development tour of the region on Saturday," the statement read.

The title deed distribution will form a major part of Ruto's programme, with thousands of residents expected to receive documents aimed at addressing longstanding land ownership concerns in the region.

"The issuance of the title deeds is part of the Government’s plan to distribute 500,000 land ownership documents as it seeks to address longstanding squatter and other land-related challenges that have affected communities in the Coast region for decades," the statement added.

Ruto will kick off the tour in Taita-Taveta County on Saturday, where he is expected to issue 31,318 title deeds to residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies.

He will then proceed to Kwale County on Monday, where 94,175 title deeds are scheduled to be issued to beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango constituencies.

In Kilifi County, Ruto is expected to issue 36,826 title deeds to residents of Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Kilifi South and Malindi constituencies.

A further 4,360 title deeds will be issued to beneficiaries in Mombasa County, while 22,770 title deeds will be distributed across Lamu and Tana River counties.

State House said the distribution programme was part of wider efforts to resolve historical land issues that have affected communities in the Coast region.

"The programme is part of President Ruto's administration’s broader efforts to resolve historical and administrative land challenges in the Coast region, where disputes and uncertainty over land ownership have remained a longstanding concern," the statement further read.

Beyond the title deed programme, Ruto is expected to commission completed development projects, inspect ongoing projects and launch new ones during the working tour.

One of the major projects on the itinerary will be the East Africa Refinery in Lamu, with Ruto expected to break ground for the project whose investment value has been put at $16 billion (Ksh2 trillion).

"The refinery is expected to process crude from Lokichar, Turkana County, and supply refined petroleum products to markets across East and Central Africa," the statement concluded.

Elsewhere, Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiang'i has announced a Meet the People Tour in Narok Town with Siaya Governor James Orengo and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.

Matiang'i said the tour will take place on Sunday, September 27, and issued an itinerary.

Accompanied by their host, Jubilee Secretary General Moitalel Ole Kenta, Matiang'i, Orengo and Nyoro will first attend a church service, then engage with the members of the public at Rungu ya Moi.

"I will worship with the faithful at the Dominion Church, Olerai, before embarking on a Meet the People Tour of Narok Town.

"I will be accompanied by the Siaya Governor James Orengo, the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK) Party Leader Ndindi Nyoro and the Jubilee Party Secretary General," he stated.