Swazuri set to probe eight Lamu ranches
What you need to know:
- At the time, reports had a indicated that attacks were sparked by disputes over land ownership.
- “What we are waiting for is an official letter from the Lamu County Government. The leaders are very willing and once we receive the letter, we will embark on the duty straight away,” Dr Swazuri said.
- The commission will also ascertain the status of 32 fish landing sites in the county, which are alleged to have been irregularly acquired by individuals.
Lamu County has asked the National Land Commission to investigate the ownership of eight ranches in the region and whether their title deeds are genuine.
The ranches to be investigated are: Tulu, Nairobi, TSS, Bajaber Salt Works in Koreni area and Kibokoni. Most of these are owned by influential businessmen.
The investigation is separate from an earlier President Kenyatta ordered bin the wake of the Mpeketoni attacks in which over 70 people were killed in June.
The President had at the time ordered the commission, chaired by Dr Muhammad Swazuri, to revoke title deeds for 500,000 acres owned by 22 companies. The order was part of wide-ranging measures to address insecurity in the region.
SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
At the time, reports had a indicated that attacks were sparked by disputes over land ownership.
As the commission was carrying out the presidential directive, its members were notified about the eight other ranches whose ownership could not be ascertained. The commission was told that the ownership of the ranches was shrouded in mystery and it was not clear whether their title deeds were genuine.
“The County Government itself wants these extra ranches to be investigated. NLC will consider the plea and hopefully the investigation will begin next week,” Dr Swazuri told the Nation Saturday.
The proposed inspection is likely to spark protests from businessmen who claim the land.
Dr Swazuri said the inspection aims at establishing how and when the ranches were acquired and whether the owners followed the law when acquiring the land.
OFFICIAL LETTER
“What we are waiting for is an official letter from the Lamu County Government. The leaders are very willing and once we receive the letter, we will embark on the duty straight away,” Dr Swazuri said.
The land commission boss also said the county government had asked NLC to investigate villages within settlement schemes, including Hongwe in Lamu West Sub-county, and also few islands in the Lamu East Sub-county including Pate and Siyu, which land-grabbers have allegedly targeted.
The commission will also ascertain the status of 32 fish landing sites in the county, which are alleged to have been irregularly acquired by individuals.
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy said his government would fully cooperate with the land commission and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Planning to ensure that the land issue in the region is fully addressed.
“Many tycoons have been taking advantage of the poor locals and acquiring land in a very weird manner, leaving the poor crying,” Mr Timamy said. “We intend to work closely with NLC in solving the issue. We need all the squatters to be given land and titles.”
Squatters who talked to the Nation in Lamu Town, Koreni and other areas, said some of them were evicted to pave the way for the ranches.
Mr Dominic Kimani, a squatter at Mkoma Mmoja Village claimed that over 2,000 squatters were affected.
“We have been beaten and our properties destroyed during evictions. I am sure that through this investigation, truth will prevail,” he said.
Mrs Fatuma Bonea, a squatter at Koreni said her relatives were living as squatters after their ancestral land was taken and fenced off by one of the ranches.
She praised the Lamu Government for calling for an inspection of the allocations.
Efforts to reach owners of the eight ranches were futile since their phones went unanswered.
