Kwale County Governor Fatuma Achani has assured residents living on the disputed Mwereni land—covering more than 100,000 acres—that the land will be subdivided among about 15,000 residents who have lived on it since time immemorial.

Achani’s remarks come at a time when 9 individuals are accused of forging land ownership title deeds for the Mwereni community land and have gone to court to block the Kwale County Government’s plan to survey and allocate the land to residents.

The Kwale County Government for a period of 3 years in collaboration with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), has successfully repossessed Kisite Mpunguti and Chale islands previously grabbed, the Lunga Lunga Ranch land , as well as two beachfront properties in Diani,Other land cases, including that of Wasini Island, are still pending in court.

According to Governor Achani, the fraudsters went to court to stop the land distribution being undertaken by the county government. She vowed to legally confront them so that ordinary citizens can receive what is rightfully theirs.

“We will not allow a few individuals with fake documents to deny our people their inheritance. The land belongs to the community, and my administration will ensure every rightful beneficiary receives their title deed without intimidation or corruption,” she said.

Achani further stated that under her leadership, she will not allow citizens to be oppressed and reaffirmed her commitment to resolving land disputes that have long troubled Kwale residents.

Her statement was supported by Mwereni resident Mwanzegele Kalu, who urged the survey teams implementing the exercise to use a fair and transparent method that aligns with the people’s expectations—what he called “Jembe kwa Jembe,” meaning “hoe by hoe”, noting that this approach will ensure fairness and equality