Kisauni Residents Protest, Want Governor to Act on Land Reforms
Shanzu Ward MCA Allen Katana aka 1GB addressing demonstrators at water offices in Nyali. (Photo By Mwakwaya Raymond)
By Mbungu Harrison and George Otieno
Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
Two Members of the Mombasa County Assembly have demanded the full implementation of the Mombasa County Ardhi Fund Regulations, 2024, which were enacted in December 2024.
The Ardhi Fund came into effect on December 24, 2024, during a special sitting of the Mombasa County Assembly, where it was passed into law – dubbed the Mombasa County Ardhi Regulations, 2024.
The leaders, led by Shanzu Ward MCA Allen Katana and Junda Ward MCA Sylvester Kai, questioned why the Ardhi Fund has not resolved the ongoing land issues in Kisauni Sub-County.
“We are seeking an audience with the Governor to avail himself and explain to residents how he intends to solve the land problem, which has remained unresolved,” said Katana.
They noted that the fund was established to address the squatter issue, but affected communities have continued to suffer from forced evictions.
They want the fund to be used to resolve perennial land conflicts, including the resettlement of squatters who have no title deeds. Hundreds of squatters in Kisauni have, for decades, lived without title deeds, putting them at constant risk of eviction.
Sylvester Kai, the Junda Ward MCA, asked the county government administration to explain how the funds allocated to the kitty have been used, and who has benefited.
The law directed the establishment of a fund to be known as the Mombasa County Ardhi Fund, which shall be operated under the budgeting, accounting, reporting, and auditing framework outlined in Regulation 4. It further stated that the initial capital of the fund shall be such an amount appropriated by the County Assembly.
“If anyone wants to politicize land matters, we as local leadership will not accept that. We will stand with the community to ensure they get justice,” Kai stated, threatening to lobby the community to reject Governor Nassir’s administration should he fail to resolve the land problems.
Some community members expressed their frustration. Joice Dama, a resident of Junda, said many families have lived in fear of eviction by individuals claiming to be developers who assert ownership of most of the untitled lands in Kisauni.
Benard Ogamba Nyangindi, another squatter from Kisauni, questioned why the Mombasa County government has been reluctant to resolve serious land matters in the area.
“We have decried these land evictions for decades. Why is it that our leaders continue to turn a blind eye?” said Nagib Shamsan, a land rights activist in Mombasa.
The community, led by local leaders, on Tuesday, August 19, stormed Governor Nassir’s office in the Nyali area, demanding an audience over the matter. However, the Governor was absent.
Armed with placards, the squatters marched in procession, chanting against the county leadership for what they termed as delays in addressing their plight, despite having notified the Governor in advance.
Instead, governor Nassir sent his entourage led by Chief of Staff Noah Akalla, who calmed the situation and promised to schedule a meeting at a date convenient for the community to address the matter.
