Marwa blames tycoons for skirmishes over land

Coast regional coordinator Nelson Marwa has said land cartels were behind the Sunday skirmishes at Njukini in Taita Taveta County that led to the death of a 15-year-old boy.

Mr Marwa said tycoons owning large plots hired goons to attack police who accompanied land officials demarcating the area to pave the way for road expansion.

"We know it is not the locals who attacked the police officers, we have their names, they are dollar billionaires who are using the youths to cause chaos, but let me warn them that they will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

SECURITY

Speaking at Njukini during a security meeting with the locals, the coordinator said the goons that attacked police officers with arrows, bows, spears and stones on Sunday had been hired from Kibwezi and Mtito Andei areas by the tycoons to disrupt the government project aimed at benefiting locals.

Mr Marwa said the youth had been given local brew which they consumed to the point of intoxication before they were sent to the area to disrupt the ongoing work and attack the police.

“These are dollar billionaires who have grabbed up to hundreds of acres of land, but we will not sit back and watch the rich use the youth to antagonise security in the region,” he said.

The administrator said President Kenyatta donated 2,204 acres to settle the more than 1,000 squatters living in the Sir Ramson farm and that it should not be used to create conflict.

Deputy President William Ruto issued titles to some 824 squatters when he visited last year.

TITLE DEEDS

According to Taita Deputy County Commissioner, 90 per cent of the squatters have so far been issued with title deeds.

But according to locals, some beneficiaries, who were not supposed to be given land were added to the list, while those who were in the list were removed.

Area village elder Shikuku Ndambuki said some people were imported and allocated land while some squatters were left out.

Senator Jones Mwaruma, Woman Rep Lydia Haika,former Governor John Mruttu and area MCA asked residents to maintain peace and cooperate with land officials to ensure the project is carried out smoothly.

“There are many lists and in both lists, some locals’ names were missing ,there also confusion where one title deed had more than five names,” he said 

But Mr Marwa promised that the problems, confusion and all their grievances will be addressed before the 14 kilometres road project is completed.

The regional Coordinator also confirmed that three police officers and several residents had been injured during the Sunday morning incident which he termed was a provocation.

CROPS

“Our officers were hit using bows and arrows ,it was an act of provocation and they had to defend themselves , but we will not allow a few rich people to disrupt peace in this region,” he said.

The Regional Coordinator said the expansion of the road project will go on but crops and structures belonging to the locals will not be  destroyed.

He asked the surveyors and the security officers to work with the locals to ensure that the project is undertaken without conflict and any form of war.

“It is true the locals must be consulted and involved in development projects in the area,it happens everywhere in the world , you cannot just come with your bulldozer and start destroying people’s property without consulting with them,” he said 

CHAOS

He said all issues that caused the violence must be addressed before the project can proceed and asked the locals to avail themselves at the chief’s office where their problems will be addressed.

Mr Marwa at the same time asked police officers in the area to stop harassing the locals and work with them to ensure government projects are implemented without chaos.

Leaders who were present in the meeting supported the project but maintained that any project must be done in consultation with the locals.

“The project is noble but residents must be consulted , when the project is complete people will be connected to electricity and there will be good road to ease transport of farm produce to the market,” Mr Mruttu said 

Marwa also directed the region OCPD to raid alcohol dens and arrest those brewing illegal brews in the area