Editor's Review
"As the President, I have decided that we will move the park's border, and this land will belong to you."
On Monday, October 26, President William Ruto promised title deeds to Makueni County residents living on land gazetted as part of the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo East National Parks.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Kathekani Senior School in Makueni, Ruto acknowledged that while the residents had encroached into the national park, he would arrange for them to become the official landlords.
He further directed the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to hand over the land under settlement to the locals and promised to replace it with land adjacent to its border.
Ruto said that once the hiving is done, the land will be partitioned and the title deeds processed before he returns to present them to the area residents.
"I have heard that you have issues with title deeds, especially here in Ngai Ndethya, Mbetwani and Ngiluni. You have lived here, but it has been said that the area belongs to the national park.
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"As the President, I have decided that we will move the park's border and this land will belong to you. I will tell KWS to move their borders and give them more land on the other side. Thereafter, the National Land Commission will process title deeds, which I will hand over to you," the Head of State declared.
The President rallied the locals to support his re-election in 2027. He promised to include Makueni County in the national development plan and promised equitable projects across the country.
He pledged Ksh5 million towards the purchase of a school bus for the Kathekani Senior Secondary School.
Earlier, Ruto launched the 55-kilometre Twimiwa-Tseikuru-Usweni road in Mwingi North Constituency. He stated that the project will cost Ksh5 billion and will unlock the potential of northern Kitui, particularly linking pastoralist and farming communities to markets.
During the launch, he told the contractor to ensure that the feeder road from the main highway to Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka's home is also tarmacked.
"To the contractor, I don't want my brother Kalonzo to be discriminated against. When this road is being built, make sure that the three kilometres heading to Kalonzo's home is tarmacked. He is also a Kenyan and I work for all Kenyans," the President instructed.
During his tour of Makueni County, Ruto also launched a Last Mile Connectivity project in Kathekani, student hostels at Tseikuru National Polytechnic, handed over a school bus to Tharaka Girls Secondary in Tsekuru, and issued title deeds to residents of Machinery Market.
As he toured Kalonzo's backyard, the Wiper Leader led a delegation from the Ukambani Region to Wamunyoro, where he held talks with DCP Leader Riagthi Gachagua and his party.
