The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
President William Ruto has distributed 10,800 title deeds to the residents of Tigania West constituency in Meru County.
The titles, handed out in the Athanwa area, will allow locals to fully utilize their land for personal empowerment.
“For many years, Meru County has been known for its numerous land disputes. The solution is to ensure every resident has a title deed, allowing them to engage in their own activities without conflict,” said Ruto.
He also mentioned that Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome was sent to address these land issues and would return with additional titles for the county.
These title deeds will facilitate the implementation of a Sh40 billion wind power project by Japanese investors. The project, aimed at producing clean energy, has faced delays due to land ownership concerns in the area.
During his visit to Japan last year, Ruto met with the Prime Minister and investors who signed a contract to invest USD 250 million (Sh32 billion) in a wind power plant in Meru County.
Ruto emphasized that issuing title deeds will allow the investors to move forward with the project, which will generate green energy and create job opportunities for local youth.
“As President, I witnessed the signing of the Meru Energy Park contract, and the major obstacle was the lack of land ownership documents,” he explained.
The project will occupy over 2,500 acres of land, which residents will lease out, generating income for them.
Ruto assured the investors that the county is now prepared for the investment and promised to ensure that the agreements with residents are fair.
“My government will do everything possible to ensure the investment is successfully implemented, including overseeing agreements to ensure they benefit everyone,” he added.
Tigania West MP Kanuithia Mutunga highlighted that another investor is interested in starting a power project that will create over 3,000 jobs for local youth.
Additionally, locals will lease out their land, earning around USD 500,000 (Sh64.5 million), while the county government stands to earn USD 1 million (Sh129 million) annually for the next 20 years.
The MP urged the national government to assist locals in securing power purchase agreements with the investor.
