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Mwanatumu Mwanguze, a resident of Kwa Bulo, in Nyali subcounty, has twice been evicted by private developers who laid claim to her two parcels of land each measuring 100m by 100m.

In the first instance, she was forced to spend the night in the cold, with her two-year-old daughter then.

It was in 2008.

The second time, Mwanguze says, she was forced to seek shelter at a neighbour’s place.

“Funnily, another person was laying claim to that same piece of land. And they both claimed they had genuine title deeds,” she says.

Her predicament was not in isolation.

At Kwa Bulo, in Kadzandani ward, residents have form time to time protested against what they called harassment by tycoons eying their land.

“I was left this land by my mother, who died almost 20 years ago, after inheriting the land from my grandfather,” she says.

She was one of the beneficiaries of the 5,000 title deeds issued by President William Ruto at Mama Ngina Waterfront Grounds on Friday.

The titles were for lands at Dongo Kundu, Waitiki, Mwakirunge, Mikindani, Mafisini, among other places across Mombasa county.

The 5,000 is part of the 300,000 title deeds that the president has issued at the Coast during this latest tour of the Coast region.

He started his tour last Sunday.

Mombasa businessman and politician Said “Saido” Abdalla said President Ruto has given respect and lifted the worth of Nyali residents by issuing titles to them.

“I am happy our people from Kadzandani ward have been issued with title deeds. There will be no more evictions and threats of eviction that have been the bane of the residents there,” Saido said.

He said he is happy that President Ruto has fulfilled the pledge he personally made to him when he visited him at State House almost 16 months ago to take the plea of Nyali residents to him.

“I am happy the President has been true to his word. He has given me more faith in his leadership and I believe the other proposals that we also took to him from other residents in other parts of Nyali are in the pipeline,” Saido said.

Saido said land is a factor of production and ownership of land enables one to access resources from financial institutions.

He said the Coast has been struggling with absentee landlords, which has subjected our people to the mercy of predatory tycoons who use their financial influence to grab lands from the people who own them but found it difficult to process titles for them.

He said rogue lawyers have been working in cahoots with the tycoons to steal lands from unsuspecting and poor residents who fear police and often let their lands go easily, with only bitterness and tears in their faces.

“And that is why we will forever be grateful to President Ruto who has done more than any other President Kenya has had for the Coast region,” Saido said.

“He has wiped the tears of many of our people.”

He said many elderly people have died without ever seeing title deeds to their lands, but in Ruto’s regime, this is changing.

President Ruto has also warned those absentee landlords who are hording lands and are refusing the purchase of the same by the state to settle squatters.

Saido supported the move saying one person cannot hold 3,000 acres of land and yet they have never set foot on the land for over 30 years.

The businessman, who is eying the Nyali MP seat, said the launching of the construction of the Dangote East African Oil Refinery in Lamu on Wednesday will be a game changer for the people of the Coast and Kenya as a whole.

At its peak, the construction of the refinery is expected to employ 60,000 people directly and indirectly.

The refinery is expected to produce 700,000 barrels of oil per day when it starts operations, which is set to be in either five or eight years’ time, depending on the pace of the construction, bar unforeseen hurdles.

Saido said President Ruto has been faithful to the Coast residents and the Coast people will repay that faithfulness at the ballot on August 10, 2027.

“We are happy that whenever the President comes he is focused on development issues and not political rhetoric. That is why we always support him and give him strength,” Saido said.

He said President Ruto has debunked the myths that the Coast region cannot develop because it is always in opposition.

“This had made us lag behind in development. But now, Ruto has shown us that indeed, we can enjoy development if we find the right leadership at the national level,” Saido said.

“We have got title deeds, roads, markets, affordable housing, dams, investments in the Special Economic Zones, the refinery in Lamu, SHA, and many more that we are going to receive.”

President Ruto continues to politically invest in the Coast region with development projects worth over Sh4 trillion across the region including the latest Dangote refinery in Lamu.

In Kilifi, the President said, his administration is investing Sh2 billion to connect 24,000 homes to electricity this financial year, including Sh350 million in Ganze constituency.

At Kwa Ndara, Chonyi, Kilifi South constituency, he on Friday launched the Last Mile Connectivity Project and the construction of the Mzambarauni-Chasimba road.

He also launched the construction of the 25km Kakajuni-Matano Manne road in Ganze constituency, which will be tarmacked at a cost of Sh1.5 billion.

He also laid the foundation stone for the Sh150 million student hostels at Godoma Technical Training Institute, with a pledged further investment of Sh200 million to expand the institution’s facilities and increase its capacity, enabling it to accommodate twice its current capacity of 340 students.

“We are investing Sh25 billion in the county to deliver affordable housing, modern markets and student hostels, improving livelihoods and driving inclusive development,” Ruto said at the Watamu Modern Market.