Ruto Criticized for Failing to Fulfill Mashujaa Day Land Promises
During the Mashujaa Day celebrations on October 20, 2024, President William Ruto made several pledges to residents of the Coast region, with one of the key promises being the resettlement of thousands of landless families.
However, nearly six months later, some locals are accusing the president of failing to honor his commitment, despite the government allocating Ksh1.5 billion for the initiative.
A group of residents from Diani and Tiwi in Kwale County have expressed frustration over the unfulfilled promise and have threatened to reclaim the 1,000 hectares of land they were forcibly evicted from on January 16, 2021.
The residents insist that those who took over the land have not undertaken any meaningful development, leaving it abandoned and idle.
“We have waited long enough, and now we have decided to return to our land and resume farming. It has been four years since we were kicked out in the middle of the night, yet nothing has been done with this land.
Meanwhile, we are struggling without a place to cultivate,” said Ann Muthoka, one of the affected residents.
The more than 700 residents also dismissed claims that they were only demanding a fraction of the land. They made it clear that they want the entire 1,000 hectares back, not just 100 hectares, as some rumors suggest.
Many of them lamented that their crops, trees, and other investments were destroyed during the eviction, leaving them counting heavy losses. Some recalled how they lost all their belongings since they were forced out suddenly at night without a chance to retrieve their property.
Others have reportedly died due to stress-related health complications, as their efforts to return home have been blocked.
Now, the affected families are demanding that President Ruto fulfill his promise and ensure they are properly resettled.
“We are simply asking the president to do what he promised during the Mashujaa Day celebrations. He assured us that he was a leader who listens to the people and that he would resolve the squatter problem here in Kwale. Where is he now?” questioned Juma Amri, another displaced resident.
During his Mashujaa Day speech in Kwale, President Ruto announced that his government would purchase large tracts of land from absentee landlords across six counties in the Coast region to settle landless squatters.
This was one of his key campaign pledges to Coast residents, yet there has been little progress in implementing it.
“The government has set aside Ksh1.5 billion to purchase land from absentee landlords so that squatters in the Coast region can be resettled,” President Ruto stated at the time.
Now, residents are demanding action, urging the president to keep his word and ensure that landless families are finally given a place to call home.
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