Kingi wants Mazrui land revoked, alleges it was acquired illegally
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi (right) chats with his former primary school teacher Rodgers Mwangolo at Dzitsoni Methodist, where he commissioned tractors bought by the county government. Mr Kingi has claimed the Mazrui family acquired land illegally. PHOTO | KAZUNGU SAMWEL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- He further called on the commission to scrutinise afresh land ownership documents belonging to absentee landlords in the county, saying the issue was a thorn in the flesh of many residents.
- A report by the land commission indicates that absentee landlords own over 77,753.02 hectares at the Coast.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi has called for the revocation of the 9,000-acre land that belongs to the prominent Mazrui family.
More than 10,000 locals are currently living as squatters on the land in Takaungu, which belongs to the once powerful family that ruled Mombasa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The remarks by the governor are expected to elicit a new debate over ownership of the huge chunk of land.
However, County Land Management Board Chairman Amos Galole told the Saturday Nation it is impossible to revoke the ownership of the Mazrui land since it can only be effected through legislation, which is yet to be passed by Parliament.
Speaking at Kaole Primary School in Chasimba ward, Mr Kingi claimed the Mazrui family acquired the land illegally and asked National Land Commission Chairman, Muhammad Swazuri, to suspend the title.
He further called on the commission to scrutinise afresh land ownership documents belonging to absentee landlords in the county, saying the issue was a thorn in the flesh of many residents.
Mr Kingi said the county administration had started talks with the lands agency to see how the accused and the other absentee landlords can relinquish the property.
“We are in talks with the commission so that the lands can be reverted to the public. We want the on-and-off eviction of people living in these lands to stop. We must get a solution on these absentee landowners,” the governor said.
He added that the issue of absentee landlords and family dynasty owning huge acreages was widespread across the region, with Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale being most affected.
“We cannot allow one family to hold on to huge tracts of land which was acquired illegally. It is evident that the Mazrui family took a lot of land from the indigenous people who were residing in that area. Our stand has been to see that the rightful owners get it back.”
A report by the land commission indicates that absentee landlords own over 77,753.02 hectares at the Coast.
In Kilifi they control 1,235.85 hectares and most of them live in the Middle East and other Gulf nations. In Malindi, 234.17 hectares are owned by absentee landlords.
