News
Protest as government buys back grabbed land
Lands minister James Orengo. Photo/William Oeri
Posted Thursday, October 15 2009 at 22:00
In Summary
- Orengo goes against Ndung’u report but says he has no power to seize property
The land has to be bought,” he told the meeting also attended by members of the parliamentary committee on Land and Natural Resources.
Mr Orengo said that every year, the government would set aside money to buy land. But Mr Odenda said the land bank may not work if the government buys grabbed land.
Mr Orengo said it had become difficult to repossess grabbed land as some of the owners have already gone to court to stop the process. He gave an example of the land on which the Eldoret law court is built.
“The person who grabbed the land went to court and the judge in same area ruled that the land is private,” he said.
The Rev Mutava Musyimi, also the chairman of the parliamentary committee on land, questioned the government’s move, saying it amounted to breaking the law.
Elsewhere, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Dr Boni Khalwale, warned that Parliament would resist any attempts to use taxpayers’ money to “compensate land grabbers”.
“As Parliament and as PAC, we will be reluctant to allow public funds to go towards purchasing land belonging to the public. Orengo should tell Kenyans whose interests he is protecting if they are not the interests of the public,” Dr Khalwale said.
The MP challenged the government to implement the recommendations of the Ndung’u Commission. The Ndung’u report was handed over to President Kibaki in 2004.
On Thursday, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights also said that buying back grabbed public land would be illegal.
“They are opening the doors for unjust enrichment. It defies the logic and spirit of reverting grabbed land to the public,” said commission vice-chairman Hassan Omar.
The Ministry of Lands has received Sh1.4 billion to resettle some of the 650,000 people who were displaced from their homes at the height of post-election violence last year.
Reported by Muchemi Wachira, Kibiwott Koross And Peter Leftie
-
Submitted by 83kimaPosted October 17, 2009 07:28 AM
-
Submitted by mawingo130
Kenyan leaders are really sickening.The cabinet is full of thieves from Moi regime.Land grabbers are like bank robbers.I dont understand why the the latter are sprayed with bullets on the spot,while the former are rewarded by the banks(govt) they robbed.Kenyan leaders should be wiped out and buried in mass graves.We are struggling to buy a 40 by 80 plot while these morons are sarcastically riding in custom-made benz,volvos,bmws while Kenyans are dying of hunger and sleeping in the cold.Washindwe!
Posted October 17, 2009 03:40 AM -
Submitted by njeridiva
who are these 20-25 annonymous thugs who returned land voluntarily?parliaments decision to protect known theives from indictment or even public scrutiny is testament to its resolve to maintain the status quo.how did the executive arrive at the logic that theives should be rewarded for getting caught?had the spotlight not have been cast upon them would they have given up their ill gotten lands?if you caught a theif with your goods would you offer to buy them back,or put the fear of god in him?
Posted October 17, 2009 01:12 AM -
Submitted by Brimani
This people never seem to get it. They can do whatever they want and we the people have no powers to anything about it. I bet you it is being done so that they can amass war chests for the next elections. When they disagree they will then look for the mwananchi and ask them to fight and kill each other to get their point across.
Posted October 17, 2009 01:12 AM -
Submitted by Nangayapaa
This is great! The gov't has set precedence. All you landless Kenyans run to the nearest national park or settler plantation and start fencing off parcels of land and begin constructing huts/houses/tents etc. When the owners or game wardens come to evict you, tell them you will be willing to sell the land back to them. Reapeat that several times and you will be eligible for parliament! You can't make this crap up!
Posted October 16, 2009 11:34 PM
RSS
It's like watching a movie where you know the ending, but you keep trying to edit it, lakini it has already been written. Totally powerless. And will the land ever be reallocated to those who need it? Forget it. If Mr Orengo truly believes that he has exhausted all avenues, why didn't he propose a change of law to act retrospectively so that the public could debate and pressure representatives? Where there's no will...