President William Ruto will embark on a tour of Kenya’s Coast region to witness the issuance of almost 200,000 title deeds and prepare for the groundbreaking of the much-anticipated East Africa Refinery on Saturday, September 26. The president will tour Taita-Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu Counties as per State House announcement.

Ruto will inspect the government’s projects, interact with the local people and residents as well as the respective county leadership to review the development programmes on the ground in the six counties. The title deed programme is part of a larger effort by the government to issue 500,000 land ownership documents to address the long-standing issues related to squatters and land disputes in the region.

The president will kickstart the programme in Taita-Taveta where 31,318 title deeds will be issued to the residents of Mwatate and Voi constituencies. In Kwale, 94,175 title deeds will be issued to the beneficiaries in Lunga Lunga, Msambweni and Kinango. In Kilifi County, 36,826 title deeds will be issued to some residents while in Mombasa, Tana River and Lamu, the documents will be issued as part of the programme. The Lands Ministry announced that it intended to address long-standing land disputes through the issuance of the documents since many residents have been living on the land without title.

Lands Principal Secretary Nickson Korir revealed that they were engaging private landowners to address some of the disputes through friendly settlements.

“We are ready to address the perennial land disputes by settling them amicably by compensating the rightful owners,” Korir said.

According to him, they have adopted a policy of protecting the rights of registered landowners while ensuring that settlers who occupy land legally also benefit. The other main issue that President Ruto will review during his tour of the Coast region is the much-awaited East Africa Refinery which is set to break ground on September 30. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has confirmed that Ruto will officiate at the event alongside regional leaders and other world leaders who are expected to attend the event.

The proposed refinery is a joint venture between Nigeria-based industrialist Aliko Dangote and East African Breweries Limited. The project’s capitalisation is estimated at Ksh2.2 trillion ($17 billion), and it is designed to distill 700,000 barrels of crude oil daily, according to government reports.

President Ruto said so after meeting with Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation CEO Samaila Zubairu in New York.

“We are ready to break ground on the East Africa refinery in Lamu, a game-changing project that will raise the region’s energy security, accelerate local value addition, create jobs and drive our industrialisation agenda,” Ruto said.

Kindiki said the refinery would create a concomitant effect for the region as it would be a centre for a larger petrochemical complex.

“The Lamu Refinery is a landmark project that will unlock Lamu and the Coast’s economy, create more than 50,000 jobs and accelerate Kenya’s industrialisation quest,” Kindiki said.

The refinery will provide Kenya and the region with finished petroleum products. In addition, the government plans to develop the refinery’s infrastructure, including the energy, storage, logistics, and manufacturing sectors. Thus, Ruto’s Coast tour will involve both the rollout of title deeds and the preparation for the groundbreaking of the East Africa Refinery.