The government has stepped up its land-titling programme in the Coastal region, with a target of issuing at least 500,000 title deeds as part of efforts to address historical land ownership challenges and strengthen security of tenure for residents.

The initiative comes amid continued government efforts to resolve longstanding land disputes and provide formal ownership documents to families who have lived for years without secure documentation.

Land ownership has remained one of the major issues affecting communities in the Coast region, with historical disputes, informal settlements and unresolved claims contributing to uncertainty over land rights.

The government has therefore placed land reforms among its priorities, saying the issuance of title deeds can provide families with legally recognised ownership and create opportunities for investment and economic development.

In May 2026, President William Ruto said the government had already issued nearly 1.5 million title deeds nationally since August 2022, with more than 380,000 of those issued in the Coast region.

The figures demonstrate the scale of the ongoing land-titling exercise in the region, where land ownership has historically been a sensitive issue.

ADDRESSING HISTORICAL LAND CHALLENGES

The Coast region has for decades faced complex land ownership challenges involving historical claims, settlement schemes, absentee ownership and questions surrounding land adjudication and registration.

For many residents, obtaining a title deed represents more than simply receiving a document.

A title deed provides formal evidence of ownership and can give landowners greater security over their property.

The government has argued that secure land ownership can also encourage investment because owners are able to develop their properties with greater certainty.

President Ruto has described land reforms at the Coast as an important component of addressing historical injustices and improving economic opportunities for residents.

According to a statement from the Presidency, the government considers the land question at the Coast to be closely linked to security, fairness and dignity.

The administration has consequently continued with adjudication, settlement and registration programmes in different parts of the country.

MORE THAN 380,000 TITLES ALREADY ISSUED AT THE COAST

Official government figures indicate that more than 380,000 title deeds had already been delivered in the Coast region by May 2026.

The number accounted for more than a quarter of the title deeds issued nationally since the current administration took office in 2022, according to the President's statement.

The government now wants to continue with the programme by processing and issuing additional title deeds to eligible residents.

The latest target of at least 500,000 more titles would represent a significant expansion of the exercise if achieved.

The programme is expected to cover different areas across the Coast, although the actual number of beneficiaries will depend on the progress of land adjudication, verification and registration.

LAND OWNERSHIP AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

The government has linked secure land ownership to economic empowerment.

Once residents obtain title deeds, they have formal documentation showing their rights to their property.

This can help reduce uncertainty and provide a stronger foundation for property development and investment.

For farmers, secure ownership can provide greater confidence to invest in agricultural activities, while homeowners can have greater certainty over their properties.

Land can also become an important economic asset when ownership is formally registered.

However, the process of issuing title deeds requires several stages, including adjudication, verification of ownership, preparation of registration documents and registration of the property.

The government has therefore continued investing in land registries and digital systems aimed at improving the delivery of land services.

DIGITAL LAND SERVICES

The State Department for Lands has also been expanding digital land services as part of efforts to make transactions faster and more transparent.

In July 2026, the department announced that additional registration sections in Mombasa had been onboarded onto the Ardhisasa platform.

Under the expansion, land transactions involving the newly onboarded sections were to be processed through the digital platform, with manual processing discontinued for those areas.

The government has described digitisation as an important component of reforms in the land sector.

Digital systems can help improve access to records, reduce paperwork and make it easier for citizens to follow up on land transactions.

The State Department for Lands has continued to report progress in the digitisation of land services, including developments announced in September 2026.

ADDRESSING THE COAST SQUATTER PROBLEM

Another major component of the government's Coast land programme is addressing the issue of squatters.

Thousands of families in different parts of the Coast have historically lived on land without formal ownership documents.

For affected families, the absence of title deeds can create uncertainty and make it difficult to invest confidently in their homes or farms.

The government has said its land reforms are intended to address such challenges through adjudication, settlement and registration.

The issuance of title deeds is therefore being presented as part of a broader effort to give residents formal security over the land they occupy.

The government has also linked the exercise to the resolution of historical land matters.

RESOLVING LAND DISPUTES

The administration has continued to announce resolutions of longstanding land disputes in other parts of the country as part of its wider land reforms.

In August 2026, the State Department for Lands announced that the government had resolved the long-running Cheluget land dispute in Narok and that processing of title deeds for individual families would begin.

The development illustrates the wider approach being used by the government to address land issues through settlement, adjudication and registration.

Similar processes are important in the Coast region, where some communities have waited for years for formal recognition of their land rights.

MAKING LAND SERVICES MORE ACCESSIBLE

The government has also been decentralising land services by opening new registries in different parts of the country.

In July, the Kithimani Land Registry was officially opened, allowing residents of Yatta and surrounding areas to access services closer to home.

During the opening, the government issued 1,300 title deeds to residents.

Similar efforts have been undertaken in other counties.

The State Department for Lands says decentralisation is intended to bring services closer to citizens and reduce the need for residents to travel long distances to access land offices.

For Coast residents, improved access to land services could help accelerate the processing of pending applications and registration of eligible parcels.

IMPORTANCE TO FAMILIES

For families waiting for title deeds, the process can have a direct impact on their sense of security.

A title deed provides documented evidence of ownership and can help protect families against competing claims.

It can also make it easier for families to plan for the future and invest in their property.

The government has repeatedly described title deeds as instruments of dignity, stability and economic empowerment.

In February 2026, for example, the government issued title deeds to families affected by floods in Maai Mahiu, saying secure ownership was important to their recovery and rebuilding efforts.

This demonstrates the wider role that land documentation plays in government programmes beyond ordinary registration.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Despite the ambitious target, the issuance of hundreds of thousands of title deeds involves complex processes.

Land ownership disputes can delay adjudication and registration, while incomplete records and boundary disagreements can also complicate the process.

Some areas may require extensive verification before titles can be issued.

The government will therefore need to continue working with local communities, county administrations and relevant land agencies to resolve outstanding issues.

Public participation and accurate verification of land ownership will also remain important to ensure that titles are issued to legitimate beneficiaries.

A BROADER LAND REFORM AGENDA

The Coast target forms part of a wider national land reform programme.

The State Department for Lands' strategic plans include targets for the registration of land interests and issuance of title documents across the country. Its 2023–2027 strategic framework sets annual targets for title-document issuance as part of efforts to secure land rights and decentralise services.

The government's continued emphasis on digitisation, decentralisation and land registration is intended to make the sector more efficient while improving access to services.

At the Coast, the focus remains particularly important because of the region's long history of land-related disputes and concerns over ownership.

CONCLUSION

The government's plan to issue at least 500,000 title deeds in the Coastal region represents another major phase in its ongoing land-titling programme.

With more than 380,000 title deeds already reported as having been issued in the region since 2022, the government says it intends to maintain the momentum and reach more families.

The initiative is expected to benefit residents who have waited for years to obtain formal documentation for their land.

Beyond the documents themselves, the government says the programme is aimed at strengthening security of tenure, resolving historical land challenges and creating an environment where residents can invest confidently in their properties.

The expansion of digital land services, including the use of platforms such as Ardhisasa, is also expected to support the process by making land transactions more accessible and transparent.

For Coast communities, the success of the programme will ultimately depend on how efficiently pending land cases are resolved, ownership is verified and titles are delivered to legitimate beneficiaries.

As the government continues with its land reforms, the issuance of title deeds remains one of the key measures being used to address land ownership challenges and strengthen property rights across the country.