Groups appeal to lawmakers over land lost to British during the colonial era

Resident at Maili Tisa in Uasin Gishu County follow proceedings during a sitting by senators. The Senate has initiated a process to push for the compensation of the Talai and Kipsigis for the land they lost to the British during the colonial era. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  Barnabas Bii

What you need to know:

  • They want the Senate to approve investigations by the NLC and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
  • The argued that their efforts to have the matter addressed by TJRC and the IIEBC had proved futile.
  • Senator Mwangi Githiomi called for watertight evidence to support the communities' case against the British government.

The Senate has initiated a process to push for the compensation of the Talai and Kipsigis for the land they lost to the British during the colonial era.

Two Senate committees — Land, Environment and Natural Resources and Justice and Legal Affairs — Tuesday heard how the communities in Kericho and Bomet counties suffered, including being evicted from 25,000 acres of their ancestral land to make way for tea plantations.

The communities, through three claimants — Samwel Rugut, Robert Langat and Victor Bor — tabled a petition before the two committees sitting in Eldoret to have the land currently owned by James Finlay (Kenya) Ltd, Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd (Formerly Brooke Bond) and George Williamson Tea returned to them.

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APPROVE PROBE

They want the Senate to approve investigations by the National Land Commission (NLC) and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) on how the multinational tea companies in the two counties acquired the land, and plans to compensate the evicted families.

“Most of this land was acquired at the expense of the indigenous people, who suffered heavy injustices, including mass murder, detention without trial and economic crimes through unfair confiscation of property,” the petitioners said.

The argued that their efforts to have the matter addressed by the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had proved futile, so they want the Senate to intervene and facilitate compensation for the atrocities committed against them.

“It is our appeal that the Senate enable the community to pursue their complaints against the British government for forcible eviction from their fertile lands to set up the tea estates,” said Mr Rugut.

They are further demanding an audit of the land rates the multinationals tea companies pay the two counties and whether it is commensurate with the prevailing market rates.

EXORBITANT RATES

“We want to know when the land is set for renewal. The multinational tea companies quote exorbitant rates whenever the county government make requests for land for expansion of Kericho Town or dam for water supply,” claimed Mr Langat.

Mr Mwangi Githiomi, the chairman of the Senate's Land committee on Land Environment and Natural Resources called for watertight evidence to support the communities' case against the British government.

“We have just started and we will involve relevant government agencies including the NLC, KNCHR, Ministry of Lands among others in dealing with this matter,” said Senator Githiomi.

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