British family the owners, invaders are trespassers, says lands boss Swazuri

Locals on the 230 acre land on May 4, 2016 which they say is theirs after invading it. The dispute pitting the locals and a British family over ownership has gone on for over ten years, with locals saying it belongs to their ancestors. PHOTO | KAZUNGU SAMUEL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The squatters were yet to obey the government order by yesterday afternoon, with some putting up structures while others cleared the land for planting.
  • The land commission has concluded that the land belongs to the Stubbs and Slatter family and those who have invaded it are trespassers.
  • The land commission boss said the owners of the land deserved to be allowed the quiet to enjoy their property.

Invaders have been ordered out of 230-acre private land in Bofa, Kiwandani.

County Commissioner Joseph Keter warned the 1,400 invaders to leave or be forcibly removed by police.

They occupied the land last week claiming the ranch has no owner.

The National Land Commission has ruled that the land in Sokoni Ward belongs to a British family.

The squatters were yet to obey the government order by yesterday afternoon, with some putting up structures while others cleared the land for planting.

“This country is not ruled by anarchy, where a person goes to any idle land and takes it without following the law,” Mr Keter told journalists in Kilifi Town. “We have seen this happening in Kilifi and we shall not relent until they stop the occupation.”

The official, who chairs the county’s security committee, said incidents of residents invading public and private land were on the increase in Kilifi and the situation had created a hostile environment ahead of next year’s General Election.

The land commission has concluded that the land belongs to the Stubbs and Slatter family and those who have invaded it are trespassers.

In a letter seen by the Daily Nation, land commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri says his findings following two public hearing between the British family and Nayeni/Mibuyuni squatters association revealed that the family were the rightful and legitimate owners of the land after they submitted legitimate ownership documents during the hearings.

“The property situated in Kilifi County/Mbuyuni Bofa Area is a freehold property and therefore private property and therefore the bona fide owner(s) hold a valid and legitimate title,’’ Dr Swazuri said in the January 18, 2016 letter.

The land commission boss said the owners of the land deserved to be allowed the quiet to enjoy their property.

The letter was copied to Governor Amason Kingi, the County Commissioner, County Land Management Board, land commission vice-chairperson in charge of Kilifi, the Nayeni/Mibuyuni squatters and the Director of Surveys at the Kenya Survey Department.

Dr Swazuri said the group’s claim on the land was not supported by evidence.

“The group’s claim of historical injustices over the land is based on the fact that the subject land is situated within their county (locality),” reads the letter. “Many other similar parcels were allocated to foreigners at the dawn of colonialism.”