MPs put KDF on the spot over Isiolo land

Isiolo Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa. Ms Jaldesa through a petition in the National Assembly has accused KDF of grabbing the land, which she says is ancestral and that has been used by the community for farming activities. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Department of Defence Principal Secretary Dr Ibrahim Mohamed was Tuesday hard-pressed to explain how Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) acquired 26,353.7 acres of ancestral land in Burat area of Isiolo County.  

Appearing before the Lands Committee of the National Assembly Tuesday, Dr Mohamed said that the land was legitimately acquired by KDF through the relevant process provided for in the law.

“This land was issued in accordance with the provisions of the trust land. It was done after the area was surveyed,” Dr Mohamed told the committee.

He noted that the survey was done in 2004 and a title deed IR 6183 issued in 2006 to the then PS in charge of Finance in trust of the Department of Defence.

Isiolo Woman Representative Rehema Jaldesa through a petition in the National Assembly has accused KDF of grabbing the land, which she says is ancestral and that has been used by the community for farming activities.

She wants the committee chaired by Kitui South MP Dr Rachael Nyamai to recommend that the land be reverted to the committee.

“Considering that the arable nature of the land makes it the bread-basket of Isiolo and its residents have been using it for small scale and large scale farming, the impending eviction would disrupt their economic activity, subject them to impoverishment and create conflict over the resources” said Ms Jaldesa.

Ms Jaldesa told the committee that in appreciation of the security importance and the presence of KDF in the area, the community doted 100 acres of land to the military to set up a school of infantry.

However, she says that to the astonishment of the local community, KDF overstretched the boundary of the original land donated and encroached on the community land with plans to displace the residents from their land.

The land according to the MP was occupied by over 30,000 residents, including 3,000 pupils spread across eight public primary schools and two secondary schools.

“The land in question is a community land owned by the County Government of Isiolo and there is no record with the local administration be it the county or the defunct Isiolo county council to the effect that KDF owns the land,” she said.

The petition to the Dr Nyamai-led committee comes after on August 15, 2019, the PS issued a one-month notice that the residents vacate their ancestral land or face evictions.

The documents presented to the committee by the DoD in defence of its ownership of the land, show that the process of acquiring it started on October 21, 1952, through a gazette notice directing the director of veterinary services to create a veterinary station.

Another gazette notice would be issued in 1977 setting aside the veterinary land to be used for the construction of school of infantry.

At the time, the land had not been surveyed and the number of acres was only determined after the completion of survey.

During the 11th Parliament, the Committee on Lands visited Burat to investigate the dispute between residents and the KDF but the committee’s report was not tabled in the House by the time the term of that parliament was elapsing.

The National Lands Commission (NLC) visited the area three years ago and agreed that the status quo be maintained- that KDF should only occupy the 100 acres originally donated by the community and the rest revert to the community.