Tourists held up in Maasai Mara as airstrip blocked in land grab protest
Residents of Talek Village in Narok protest to demand the revocation of a title deed for a 4,000-acre piece of land issued to Mr Livingstone Kunini Ntutu, a brother to Narok Senator Stephen Ole Ntutu. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
A group of tourists were delayed for more than two hours as protesters barricaded an airstrip at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
The demonstrators parked their vehicles on the runway at Olkiombo Airstrip in Narok to protest the alleged grabbing of 4,000 acres.
The reserve’s warden, Mr Maxwell ole Naishu, said five planes turned back to Nairobi as they were unable to land at the Mara on Saturday afternoon.
Residents protested a Court of Appeal ruling that granted Senior Chief Ntutu’s family the expansive land.
There has been a protracted court battle between the defunct Narok County Council and the family.
Mr Livingstone Ntutu, a brother of Narok Senator Stephen ole Ntutu, moved to the Court of Appeal after the High Court ruled that the Olkiombo ranch revert to the county government of Narok.
“I was registered as the proprietor of the parcel CIS-MARA/TALEK/155, which measures 4,000 acres,” Mr Ntutu said.
On Thursday, judges Rose Nambuye, Daniel Musinga and J Mohammed set aside a March 19, 2014 ruling in favour of the county government and upheld a previous one delivered on November 24, 2005.
On Saturday, Deputy Speaker Ketuyio Otuni, Majority Leader Stephen ole Kudate, Budget and Appropriation Committee chairman Wilson ole Masikonte said the land was obtained fraudulently.
Mr Kudate claimed registration was done fraudulently and backdated to October 1997.
He vowed to move to the Supreme Court on Monday.
