Residents of Kiwayu Island in Lamu East have appealed to the government to address their longstanding land grievances and grant them titles to their ancestral land, as a parliamentary committee investigates claims of irregular allocations within the Kiunga Marine National Reserve.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Petitions, accompanied by Lamu East MP Captain Ruweida Obo, visited the island to gather views from residents and other stakeholders on Public Petition No. 14 of 2025, which seeks recognition and protection of the traditional and cultural rights of the Kiwayu community.
Committee Chairman and Mwatate MP Peter Mbogho said the visit had enabled legislators to hear directly from residents and assess their concerns regarding land ownership and management within the protected area.
He said the committee had collected views from the stakeholders and added that Parliament would provide direction on the matter after considering the petition and the submissions received.
“We are on top of this matter. The petition raises serious concerns, and we have come to hear from the people of Kiwayu first-hand,” Mbogho said.
“Once the petition is heard in full, with submissions from all stakeholders involved as well as the local residents, we are confident a resolution will be found,” he added.
The petition was presented to the National Assembly by Obo on behalf of Kiunga Ward residents on October 9, 2025, and approved for committee consideration on October 15, 2025.
Obo told the committee that the community had lived on the island for centuries but continued to lack formal documentation recognising its land ownership rights.
“The residents of Kiwayu have lived here for more than four hundred years and have not received a title deed to this day,” she said.
She cited the presence of old schools and wells as evidence of the community’s longstanding settlement, arguing that residents deserved recognition and protection of their ancestral land.
The MP also raised concerns over 64 land titles allegedly issued within the reserve, questioning how private individuals had acquired ownership documents for parcels in a protected area while the local community remained without title deeds.
“What is most disheartening and infuriating is that these parcels were given to wealthy people,” she said.
Obo alleged that outsiders had acquired titles to large tracts of land while residents remained confined to limited areas despite generations of settlement.
“Generation after generation expands, but they stay in the same place because they do not have that freedom,” she said.
The petition describes Kiwayu as ancestral land belonging to an indigenous community whose livelihoods and cultural practices depend on artisanal fishing, mangrove conservation and sustainable management of marine resources.
It further raises concerns over alleged encroachment by private developers, unauthorised developments, suspected fraudulent title deeds and irregular land allocations within the Kiunga Marine National Reserve.
According to the petition, such activities threaten marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, fish breeding grounds and mangrove forests. The alleged encroachment also raises concerns about potential displacement of residents and damage to cultural heritage sites.
The petition cites the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act and the Environmental Management and Coordination Act as part of the legal framework relevant to protecting the reserve and addressing the alleged encroachment.
Obo appealed to President William Ruto to intervene, saying Kiwayu residents deserved the same opportunity as other Kenyans to secure legal recognition of their land rights, including through community land ownership arrangements.
She expressed hope that the President would address the matter during a planned national land-titling programme at the Coast in December.
“I expect the President to come and address this matter by December, when he will oversee another national titling programme on the coast,” she said.
Residents who addressed the committee said the lack of title deeds had left families uncertain about the future of land they had occupied for generations.
Sumira Athman, a resident of Kiwayu, said families had lived on the island for generations without documents proving ownership.
“We were born here, and our parents were born here, yet we have no papers for our land. We are requesting that this matter be addressed urgently,” she said.
Mohammed Abdul, a fisherman and long-time resident, said secure land rights were essential to protecting livelihoods and sustaining conservation efforts.
“We want to continue fishing and protecting our mangroves, but we need security on our land. We ask the government to act without further delay,” he said.
By Amenya Ochieng
