This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 19, 2019, the Government announced plans to revive stalled conventional and squatter settlement schemes in Taita Taveta County to address landlessness in the region.
According to Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning Gideon Mung'aro, the revival of the schemes would see more than 100,000 squatters issued with title deeds this year.
The settlement schemes had stalled since 1969 due to persistent land disputes, petty politics, and lack of resources to fast-track the titling programme, Mr Mung'aro noted.
Some stalled schemes only required Sh150,000 to be completed but were abandoned by successive governments, he added.
Mr Mung'aro stated, “We are reviving more settlement schemes and adjudication areas to ensure more locals are settled. Among the stalled squatter settlement schemes are Mwanainchi, Rong'ee Juu, Chawia-Wumari Sechu, and Mgeno adjudication sections.”
He emphasized that the heavy presence of squatters was a recipe for chaos and that the Government was doing everything possible to ensure the squatter menace was adequately addressed once and for all.
