Squatters evicted from ADC farm

More than 21,000 squatters were evicted from a parastatal’s farm.

The squatters had invaded the Sabwani Agricultural Development Corporation’s (ADC) farm in Kwanza District.

Regular and Administration police officers under the command of acting district commissioner Ben Nyagaga arrested the chairman of Kiboroa Squatters’ Alliance and six other officials before expelling the invaders.

The DC ordered the squatters to leave and warned those who disobeyed that they would be arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Nyagaga said a land company had conned landless people in the North Rift and parts of Western Kenya of millions of shillings on the pretext that it would give them land.

“The government will not tolerate con men, inciters, and invaders to exploit landless people,” said Mr Nyagaga.

He directed the ADC management to provide transport for the squatters.

The landless families from North Rift and parts of Western Province invaded the Sabwani farm on Sunday.

They allocated themselves five acres each.

The landless people under the umbrella of Kiboroa Squatter’s Alliance said they took the action following an alleged agreement between their officials and the government.

Trans Nzoia leaders led by councillors Pius Kauka and Ronald Sakong, and Mr Laurence Mokosu accused the security team of laxity and failing to act on the con men who were swindling the landless.

“We believe that some leaders and security agents have a share in the illegal collection because the scam is going on in the open,” said Mr Mokosu.

They demanded that the group be investigated and dismissed the invaders, arguing that genuine Kiboroa squatters who were evicted from forests in 1987 were still in camps awaiting resettlement.