Uhuru-Raila unity deal in vain if historical land injustices not addressed: Kingi

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and Kilifi North MP Owen Baya (right) in a past event. Mr Baya and three other MPs from the Coast on Wednesday said the region will field a presidential candidate in 2022, despite reports that party leader Raila Odinga will be vying. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kingi said Coast residents are still fighting for land justice more than 50 years after Kenya attained independence from British colonial rule.
  • The need to address the contentious land issue was also raised by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya who asked Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga to ensure resident get title deeds for their land.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi says the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his party leader Raila Odinga will have no impact if historical land injustices will not be addressed.

Mr Kingi said Coast residents are still fighting for land justice more than 50 years after Kenya attained independence from British colonial rule.

Speaking at Karisa Maitha Grounds in Kilifi during the Madaraka Day celebrations attended by County Commissioner Magu Mutindika, the governor said it is time the handshake between the two leaders addressed those historical land issues and ended the squatter problem in the Coast.

“The handshake is one step which is supposed to bring justice to Coast people. Otherwise, there will always be a handshake after another with no justice. There is no reconciliation without justice. I call upon President Kenyatta to bring back our lands,” he said.

WHITE HIGHLANDS

The governor narrated the history of the Coast region when it was under the Sultan of Zanzibar and was merged with Kenya on October 8, 1963.

"By 1977, the White Highlands were recovered from the British and given to Africans but the same did not happen in the Coast region which was ruled by Sultan of Zanzibar. The land that initially belonged to Arabs under the regime of Sultan of Zanzibar was not given to the indigenous people and that’s why we have always remained squatters,” Mr Kingi said.

The need to address the contentious land issue was also raised by Kilifi North MP Owen Baya who asked Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga to ensure resident get title deeds for their land.

TITLE DEEDS

So far, President Kenyatta's government has issued more than three million title deeds to squatters across the country since 2013. But the High Court invalidated their authenticity in January 2017 after ruling that they were issued without the involvement of the National Land Commission.

Mr Baya urged President Kenyatta to implement the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission’s report.

2022 RACE

Mr Kingi, who plans to form a political party to unite the region ahead of 2022 General Election, also rubbished claims that he has fallen out with his Mombasa counterpart Hassan Joho to support Deputy President William Ruto.

“When the DP came to inspect the water project at Baricho which was destroyed by floods, I joined him for development purposes and it has nothing political or dumping a person for another,” he said, lashing out at the media for "exaggerating" issue.

His comments come a day after Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, who is perceived as Mr Ruto’s political rival, visited Mr Joho in Mombasa and announced a unity deal ahead of the 2022 race.

Both Mr Kingi and Mr Joho have declared interest for the presidential seat in 2022.

Other leaders who attended the Madaraka Day fete included Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu, Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga and Magarini MP Michael Kingi.