Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki has called on the government to prioritise Mombasa County in the Sh2 billion allocated for purchasing land from absentee landlords to resettle squatters.
He said the funds will help to resolve the region’s long-standing land injustices.
The Senate Lands, Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chairperson also urged the government to increase the allocation, noting that the Sh2 billion set aside in the 2025/2026 Financial Year is insufficient to address widespread land issues along the Coast.
The Head of State had tasked Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and Cabinet Secretaries Alice Wahome (Lands), Hassan Joho (Mining) and Salim Mvurya (Sports) to identify and vet genuine absentee landlords for compensation.
The County Government of Mombasa also unveiled a bold plan to resolve decades of historical land injustices by operationalising the Ardhi Fund, which has been allocated Sh50 million in the 2025/2026 Financial Year, aimed at securing land ownership and ending perennial evictions.
“We would want the Sh2 billion to come to Mombasa to help ease the land problem. Those who may not benefit this year should have faith that they will be considered in the next phase,” Senator Faki said.
On Friday, the Senator handed over the Report of a petition filed by the Kenya Land Alliance to the Senate on historical land injustices in Mombasa.
The Senate Report proposed that the National Land Commission (NLC) expedite its Report on historical land injustices and that the County and National Governments buy the land and subdivide it, akin to the Waitiki land in Likoni and the County Government, to ensure that land subdivision complies with the law.
“The land issue has been a thorn in the flesh for the coastal region. For years, we have cried over this problem. The County Government must ensure that affected residents are informed and that public participation is conducted on land subdivisions,” he stated.
Faki further assured residents that the NLC has declared there will be no evictions in Mombasa, as the government plans to buy off the disputed plots.
On the Kashani land in Kisauni, he noted that NLC has allocated 300 acres for local squatters and urged the Commission to revisit the matter to ensure fair and inclusive settlement.
Nagib Shamsan, Chairman of the Kenya Land Alliance, welcomed the Report, urging the NLC and the County Government of Mombasa to ensure the recommendations by the Senate report are implemented, lest they petition again.
“These houses once belonged to our late parents, and now their children have inherited them. We know no other home,” Shamsan said.
“When we say they should be regularised, we want our tenure to be improved from wherever we are to a better place. We are grateful for the negotiation,” he added, calling for calm.
Meanwhile, Senator Faki also weighed in on the ongoing feud between the Mombasa County Assembly and the County Executive, urging mutual respect between the two arms of government.
The Senator’s sentiments come two days after the Assembly’s committee on land proceedings was disrupted and supporters of the two arms engaged in a war of words and even fist fights.
“If you don’t respect yourself, you’ll be disrespected. We must respect our institutions. Members of the County Assembly should also respect themselves because if you don’t respect yourself, you’ll be disrespected. Respect is two-way traffic,” Faki noted.
He cited Makueni County during the 2013-2017 term as a perfect example of how conflict between the two arms of government can derail service delivery.
The Senator further called for the respect of the Assembly, as it is protected by the Constitution, just like the National Assembly and the Senate, warning that the conflict may snowball into a full-blown governance crisis.
“I want to appeal to the County Government of Mombasa and the County Assembly of Mombasa to resolve their differences because the residents don’t want squabbles but services,” he appealed, adding that there are pressing issues for the Assembly to investigate, like the 17 billion waste management tender that was awarded to a Ghanaian firm.
By Sadik Hassan
