20,000 squatters in Mombasa to get title deeds, Swazuri says

About 20,000 squatters in the sprawling Aldina slums in Jomvu, Mombasa County could soon acquire title deeds after the land they have occupied for decades was declared “ownerless”.

National Land Commission Chairman Muhamed Swazuri told hundreds of jubilant squatters during a visit to the plot stay put after the alleged owner failed to appear before the commission after being summoned.

“Rest easy without fear of eviction because the alleged owners have become “faceless”. We waited for them to come before us as we had directed but they failed to appear before the commission to verify their claim,” said Dr Swazuri.

He said that since the 'owners' failed to appear to verify the authenticity of their claim, the land had reverted back to the State.

FACELESS OWNERS

“The fact that the faceless owners failed to come forward points to the fact that they may have acquired the land through fraudulent means hence the land reverts back to the state,” he said.

He said that the Land Act and the constitution mandate his commission to take appropriate steps including reverting such “ownerless” land back to the State after all legal procedures to positively identify the owner fail.

“The law is very clear. If you own any disputed piece of land then you have to come out in the open and claim the land failure to which you forfeit it to the state,” he said.

Dr Swazuri said that apart from Aldina, other areas in Jomvu are affected by “this state of unclear ownership”.

He identified such areas as Kwa Mwanzia, Sameta, Owino Uhuru, Kizurini, Ganahola and Kasarani.

DISPLACED

Dr Swazuri toured the area in the company of area MP Badi Twalib who commissioned a public primary school for the Aldina slum dwellers to be built at Sh15 million from the Constituency Development Fund.

The MP expressed joy that his constituents who lived in fear of displacement would now live in peace and concentrate on eking out their living.

“These people have experienced land conflicts with tycoons who have been claiming to own several parcels of land occupied by squatter families in this sub-county and elsewhere in Mombasa County,” said Mr Twalib.

He said that the school would go a long way in creating access to education as the area lacked public schools and hospitals because tycoons have been sponsoring evictions until recently.