Kaya elders want President Ruto to keep port jobs, squatter issues promises

Mijikenda Kaya elders have made a passionate appeal to President William Ruto to honour his promise of providing employment opportunities to coast residents at the port of Mombasa.

The Elders said currently the operations have stabilized under the leadership of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) chairman Benjamin Tayari and managing director Captain William Ruto and hence Coast residents want jobs from the region's main economic hub.

Led by the coordinator of Mijikenda Kaya Elders Tsuma Kombe, the elders said that they are thankful to the head of state for recognizing the Coast region in terms of key appointment but asked him to deal with the challenge of unemployment.

Speaking at Kaya Singwaya in Magarini Sub County of Kilifi the elders also called on the president to organise a meeting with them so as to listen to their grievances which include the status of the program of ending the squatter problem on the region.

Mr Nguma Charo, a Mijikenda Kaya Elders youth representative, said that they have key issues to discuss with the president including an update on the Kenya Kwanza initiative to acquire land for resettle squatters.

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“During the campaign period the President promised to address the squatter issue but up to now there is little or no progress and our people are still living in fear amid increased dawn demolition of their houses,” he said.

Charo said that for the first time Ruto’s administration has shown a commitment on resolving the squatter problem and even tasked key Coast leaders to identify land to be acquired to settle squatters.

“We want to meet you so that we can give you the directions needed to address those issues because you formed a committee but the committee has not done anything,” he added.

He said that it was sad that despite that effort locals were still facing forceful evictions and demolitions such as the recent evictions witnessed in Kwale County.

Kaya Fungo chairman Tayari Mwaringa who was present asked the president to convene a meeting with the elders so that they can discuss the issue of unemployment that is a major challenge facing the region.