By Shaban Omar
More than 500 residents of Gazi in Msambweni Constituency, Kwale County, have denounced attempts to interfere with a national government land allocation and title deed issuance exercise scheduled for next week on Monday.
The development follows protests by another group of residents a day earlier, who claimed they had been left out of the Gazi Settlement Scheme and alleged that the government was allocating land to people from outside the area.
The Gazi Settlement Scheme was created after a private investor Msambweni Development donated 306 acres to the national government to resettle about 1,500 landless families from Gazi and Zero Zero.
Addressing the media Gazi Settlement Scheme Chairperson Mzee Chula dismissed the claims of exclusion, insisting the allocation process has been fair, transparent and is being carried out in phases.
Gazi Settlement Scheme Chairperson Mzee Chula speaks to the media at Gazi in Msambweni sub-county on Saturday, July 4, 2026.
He said most legitimate beneficiaries received their title deeds in 2025, while those yet to benefit are expected to receive plots in the Zero Zero section of the settlement scheme.
Chula argued that the resistance is being fueled by individuals who are neither genuine beneficiaries nor residents of the affected villages.
“Last month, around 300 beneficiaries who had already received title deeds were shown their parcels of land. More than 500 others are still waiting because their plots are in Zero Zero. It is therefore surprising that people from other areas are trying to block the process,” he said.
He appealed to the national government to proceed with the planned allocation and title deed issuance, noting that genuine squatters have waited for many years to legally own land.
According to Chula, the exercise will finally bring an end to decades of landlessness among hundreds of families from Gazi and Zero Zero.
He also appealed to security agencies to provide adequate security to ensure the exercise is conducted peacefully.
“We are peaceful people and only want the government to provide security so that the exercise proceeds without interference. All we want is to settle on our land,” he said.
Gazi Settlement Scheme Committee member Siasa Pashua said the list of beneficiaries was compiled through a consultative process that included all genuine residents of Gazi regardless of their tribe or religion.
Gazi Settlement Scheme Committee member Siasa Pashua speaks to the media at Gazi in Msambweni sub-county, Kwale County
He expressed concern over what he termed as attempts by outsiders to claim land despite not being among the approved beneficiaries.
Pashua urged the government to take legal action against anyone attempting to disrupt the exercise, warning that such actions could create unnecessary tension within the community.
“We considered everyone who has genuinely lived in Gazi for many years. As long as they were known by the community and met the requirements, they were included during the identification process,” he said.
Resident Mwanakombo Hamadi said it was unfortunate that although similar settlement programmes had been implemented successfully in areas such as Kombani, Tiwi and Msambweni, the Gazi exercise was now facing opposition from people she claimed were not legitimate beneficiaries.
She appealed to the government to safeguard the integrity of the programme and allow the remaining beneficiaries to receive their land and title deeds without further delays.
“When settlement programmes were carried out in Kombani, Tiwi and Msambweni, we supported them. We do not understand why people now want to deny us our land,” she said.
A resident Mwanakombo Hamadi shows her title deed at Gazi in Kwale County
Another resident, Salim Shikeli, said the people of Gazi are seeking peace and a fair process that will enable genuine beneficiaries to settle on the land allocated to them.
He also called on security agencies to remain alert and provide adequate security during Monday’s land allocation and title deed issuance exercise to ensure it is conducted peacefully.
“We do not want conflict or division. We only want peace and the opportunity to settle on the land that has been allocated to us. We ask the DCC to provide us with security,” he said.
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