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Activities on 73-acre Mombasa land stopped
Shanzu ward representative Maimuna Mwawasi addresses squatters at a 73-acre land in Utange 1 Settlement Scheme on May 11, 2015, when the county government ordered groups claiming ownership of the parcel to stop any further activity on it. PHOTO | LABAN WALLOGA |
What you need to know:
- County chief issues order after boy shot during chaos between squatters and police.
- Squatters were conned of Sh6,000 each, county executive says.
Activities have been halted on a disputed Shanzu land where police shot a boy on Saturday during a confrontation with squatters.
The county government directed that no further activity should take place at the 73-acre Utange 1 Settlement Scheme parcel, whose ownership is claimed by three rival groups.
Executive for Lands Francis Thoya issued the order on Monday as it emerged that some squatters claiming part of the land were conned.
Mr Thoya, who visited the settlement scheme, shocked the squatters when he told them that anyone who paid Sh6,000 to a cartel purportedly to buy 30 acres of the expansive farm had been conned.
He said the county government was aware of the people asking for Sh1,000 for registration and Sh5,000 for allocation of the land.
“Where can you buy land for this amount? If you paid this money and you were shown a piece of land, you bought air,” he told the squatters as a rival group clapped and cheered at their rivals’ misfortune.
ENFORCE THE ORDER
Mr Thoya also dismissed claims that the land was on lease that had expired. “This is a freehold land. It is misleading to say it is on lease. Do not be misled by anyone.”
He ordered the three parties contesting its ownership to stop further activity on it. “From today, no construction, tree cutting, digging or any other activity should take place on this land.”
He said the area chief and security agents had been instructed to enforce the order. “If you break this directive, blame yourself for the repercussions,” he told the groups.
The three parties are Utange 1 Settlement Scheme Squatters, Pindua Land Society and Mr Swaleh Nguru, a businessman.
The first group, comprising 2,500 people, demonstrated on Saturday and Sunday after the houses they were putting up were demolished.
Ronald Baya, 15, was caught up in the chaos on Saturday as he headed home and was shot in the leg as police tried to disperse the rioters. He had disembarked from a motorcycle to escape the chaos.
The teenager is being treated at the Coast General Hospital.
The Utange 1 group invaded the land and divided it among themselves in January, claiming its lease to Mr Nguru had lapsed.
When the group’s members were asked to move out, they went to court and were granted orders prohibiting any activity on the land until the matter is determined. The case is coming up for hearing on Friday.
Some 450 members of Pindua Land Society claim Mr Nguru drove them out of the land. Their case has been in court since 1994 and it is scheduled for hearing on June 23.
