Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has officially opened the Kithimani Land Registry in Yatta Constituency, Machakos County, in a move expected to ease access to land services for thousands of residents who previously travelled to Machakos town to obtain title deeds and other documents.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, Prof Kindiki said the new registry would bring land registration, adjudication, surveying and titling services closer to residents, saving them the time and money they spent travelling long distances to the county headquarters.
The Deputy President said 1,300 title deeds were being issued during the event, while all land records for the area had been transferred to the new registry and relevant personnel deployed to provide land-related services.
“Today we shall leave here with our title deeds. Our people in Yatta have suffered for many years. Governments have come and gone, but the people of Githimani have had to travel all the way to Machakos to look for title deeds,” Prof Kindiki said.
He said some residents had been forced to spend more than Sh1,000 on transport to Machakos, only to return home without receiving the services they needed, sometimes requiring overnight accommodation before making another trip.
He said the establishment of the registry would end the inconvenience and additional costs associated with travelling to Machakos town.
“The tedious journey of going to Machakos in search of title deeds has come to an end. There will be no more paying extra money to travel to Machakos or sleeping in lodgings because you have gone to search for your title deeds,” he said.
Prof Kindiki said the Government was committed to ensuring that public services were distributed equitably across the country, regardless of how residents voted during the 2022 General Election.
He said President William Ruto’s administration had a responsibility to serve all Kenyans and not discriminate against regions based on their political choices.
The Deputy President said the Government’s development agenda in the Ukambani region was evidence of its commitment to equitable development, arguing that roads, water, electricity, land services and employment opportunities were rights of all Kenyans.
“The person elected becomes the leader of all Kenyans,” he said, adding that no citizen should be made to suffer because they supported a different candidate during an election.
Prof Kindiki said Kenya belonged to all communities and called on political leaders to reject tribalism and regional divisions.
He said the Government was implementing development projects across the country, including in regions that did not overwhelmingly support it during the last election.
“The sure way of forging lasting national unity lies in the commitment to ensure that all parts of Kenya receive Government services equally and unconditionally,” he said.
The Deputy President was accompanied by Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir, Yatta MP Robert Basil, Masinga MP Joshua Mwalyo, Members of the County Assembly and other leaders.
Prof Kindiki praised Mr Basil for what he described as his focus on development, saying elected leaders should be judged by the projects they deliver rather than political confrontations and tribal mobilisation.
He defended the Yatta MP against critics who have accused him of political betrayal for working with the Kenya Kwanza administration.
According to Prof Kindiki, leaders should prioritise securing development projects for their constituents instead of engaging in endless political battles.
He said Mr Basil’s political fortunes would ultimately be determined by his record of service to residents, including efforts to improve roads, markets and water infrastructure.
“Those calling Hon Basil a traitor are the greatest enemies of Yatta and the Ukambani region because they do not want this leader to seek roads, markets and development for the people,” he said.
Prof Kindiki urged the MP and other leaders to remain focused on development, saying political popularity should not be the primary measure of leadership.
He said leaders would ultimately be judged by their achievements and the confidence of voters at election time.
The Deputy President also outlined a series of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Machakos County, saying the county had 517 kilometres of roads under construction at a cost of about Sh30 billion following the settlement of pending payments to contractors.
He said the road projects were part of a wider national programme involving approximately 6,000 kilometres of roads.
Among the projects highlighted were the Matuu-Ikombe-Katangi road and the Matuu-Ekalakala road, which are expected to improve transport and connectivity in Yatta and neighbouring areas.
Prof Kindiki said works on the first phase of the Matuu-Ikombe-Gatangi road, covering 10 kilometres, had started, while the contractor for the Matuu-Ekarakara road was also on site.
He said Sh50 million had been allocated for the Ekarakara Bridge.
The Deputy President also announced progress in the Government’s fresh produce market programme, saying 17 of the 600 markets being constructed nationally were located in Machakos County.
He said Kithimani and Katangi markets in Yatta were among those under construction.
During the visit, Prof Kindiki inspected the Kithimani Economic Stimulus Programme Fresh Produce Market, which he said was about 70 per cent complete.
He directed the contractor to accelerate construction and complete the project within 90 days to enable small-scale traders, including vegetable vendors and other businesses, to occupy the facility before the end of the year.
“The Githimani Modern Market is 60 per cent complete, and I have instructed the contractor to expedite the remaining work so that it is completed within the next two months,” he said.
He said President Ruto was expected to officially open the market before the end of the year.
The Deputy President further highlighted water projects being implemented in the area, including the Sh800 million NYS-Matuu-Kitui water project, the Sh150 million Kisiiki Irrigation Project and the prioritised Yatta Dam Project.
He said the National Irrigation Authority was also working to address water challenges in the region and noted that young engineers from Ukambani had been entrusted with key responsibilities in the projects.
Prof Kindiki said the Government’s development agenda also included affordable housing projects, modern markets and hostels, which he said had created employment opportunities for more than 6,000 young Kenyans across the country.
He urged residents to support development initiatives and called for unity among political leaders and communities.
The Deputy President, however, expressed concern over what he described as attempts by some political leaders to fuel insecurity and violence for political purposes.
He warned politicians against inciting young people to engage in violence, destruction of property or criminal activities during political demonstrations.
Prof Kindiki said both the Opposition and Government supporters had a responsibility to protect the country’s peace and stability.
He said political competition should be based on competing ideas and development agendas, including plans to create jobs for young people, support women-owned businesses and improve infrastructure.
“We must say no to all forms of violence and the misuse of young people to transact politics,” he said.
He cautioned against the destruction of businesses during demonstrations, saying innocent Kenyans who had invested their savings and employed other people should not become victims of political unrest.
He said Kenyans had a constitutional right to express their political views and participate in peaceful demonstrations but warned that political activities should not be used as a justification for criminal conduct.
Prof Kindiki also rejected calls for the country to be divided along ethnic or regional lines, insisting that Kenya remained one nation.
He said no political leader, regardless of whether they supported the Government or the Opposition, should be allowed to undermine national security.
“There is no one—regardless of colour, religion, tribe, gender, age, or political affiliation—who will be allowed to threaten the peace and stability of this nation in the name of politics,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to embrace unity and reject tribalism, saying all communities had an equal stake in the country’s future.
The Deputy President also identified corruption as one of the major challenges facing Kenya and called on public officials to shun graft.
He urged Government employees to live within their means and be satisfied with their legitimate earnings.
The commissioning of the Kithimani Land Registry is expected to ease access to land services for residents of Yatta and surrounding areas, while speeding up the processing and issuance of title deeds and resolution of land disputes.
The Government said the deployment of personnel responsible for land adjudication, surveying, registration and titling would further improve service delivery and ensure residents no longer have to travel to Machakos town for routine land-related services.
