County assemblies join hands to probe Nguruman land row

An aerial photo of Nguruman ranch in Kajiado County. Narok and Kajiado County Assemblies have formed a joint committee to spearhead investigations on the disputed Nguruman Company Ltd land row. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The team will be headed by Narok County Assembly planning committee chairman Bernad Parsaloi and Joseph Mutunkei, chairperson of lands committee, Kajiado Assembly.
  • More than 40,000 families at Shompole and Olkiramatian group ranches face eviction after the firm won a court order to auction the land at the border of the two counties.
  • Latest findings show that part of the land is in Kajiado County and the other in Narok County.

Narok and Kajiado County Assemblies have formed a joint committee to spearhead investigations on the disputed Nguruman Company Ltd land row.

The team will be headed by Narok County Assembly planning committee chairman Bernad Parsaloi and Joseph Mutunkei, chairperson of lands committee, Kajiado Assembly.

The decision was made after the two land teams from both counties visited the Narok land registrar office to establish the ownership of the land that has in the recent weeks caused a sharp conflict between locals and Nguruman company.

More than 40,000 families at Shompole and Olkiramatian group ranches face eviction after the firm won a court order to auction the land at the border of the two counties.

Locals say the land was irregularly acquired.

UNRAVELING THE STALEMATE

Latest findings show that part of the land is in Kajiado County and the other in Narok County.

Narok and Kajiado county leaders have claimed that the land is within their counties.

Addressing the two committees, Narok County Assembly speaker Nick ole Kamwaro said the matter was grave and had affected locals from both counties.

He called for formation of a joint probe committee.

“The move is to unravel the stalemate of the 40-year land ownership wrangles pitting residents of Kajiado and Narok against a white settler of German origin who allegedly leased the land,” said Mr Kamwaro.

Kajiado County Assembly speaker Johnson Osoi on Saturday said the land issue is emotive and needs to be unravelled.

BRINGING A TRUCE
He said that with the two teams on board, the right facts and information will help bring a solution and truce.

“According to the County Governments Act No. 17 of 2012, such issues can be resolved through joint committees from both counties,” he said.

The Narok Assembly speaker said there was no problem between the two county leaderships but between the locals and Nguruman company.

The Kajiado lands committee has already interrogated a number of people over the past three weeks.

“Thorough investigation on how the land was acquired, whether irregularly or legally, will be done. As a team, let’s be nonpartisan and get the necessary facts to help both parties,” said Kajiado land committee chairman Joseph Mutunkei.

FINDING THE SOLUTION
The team will comprise five members of the county assemblies from Narok and Kajiado.

After the two county assemblies table the respective reports through the land adjudication office, they will seek to establish the boundary of the two counties.

“We appreciate the effort that has been by the Kajiado County Assembly. As it is, we will meet several elders in the area at the Narok side as we ultimately seek to establish the right path of the boundary to avoid such problems recurring in future,” said  Mr Parsaloi.