This archive report was first published on 26 October 2019.
As Lamu prepares for the launch of the Lamu Port, a presidential directive has sparked a heated debate over the subdivision of 5,000 acres of land in Hindi.
On October 26, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta visited Lamu and promised to issue title deeds to residents, resolving the long-standing squatter crisis in the county.
However, the move has raised concerns among locals, who fear that the land survey may not be fair and transparent. Lamu County Executive for Land Fahima Araphat has assured residents that the exercise will eliminate landlessness, land grabbing, and displacement.
But analysts warn that land management in Lamu is a sensitive issue that requires political goodwill and support from the locals to tackle it justly. Residents are worried that outsiders may be given priority over genuine residents seeking land in the Swahili Scheme.
Parts of the scheme have already been claimed by ranchers, which could lead to a security crisis. Unless the process is handled fairly, sponsored violence may erupt in the ensuing quest for land in Hindi.
