Rumuruti: A battle over ownership of a huge chunk of land estimated to be more than 23,000 acres in Thome location of Rumuruti division in Laikipia county is brewing between two groups. On one hand, the land was acquired by over 5,000 members of the Mathira-Kihundui-Kahonoki Gitaaraga farmers’ association way back in 1974.
According to Kenya News Agency, the chairman of the farmers’ association, Dominic Munyiri, stated that even after subdivision, members never settled on the farm located at Mathira village in Rumuruti division, allowing squatters from the pastoralist communities to invade and ‘make it their own.’ The squatters claim they have lived on the farm for 38 years and are now surprised by the potential eviction after the initial landowners sold off part of the land.
The chairman has indicated that the management committee has already sold off 2,000 acres to an investor planning to invest in agricultural produce, with the remaining piece up for sale for interested buyers. During a tense meeting held at the land, the squatters, led by Kadili Kaishu and John Lekurtutu, insisted on their long-standing residence without previous disputes.
Laikipia West Deputy County Commissioner David Boen, who chaired the meeting, affirmed that the Mathira-Kihundui-Kahonoki-Gitaaraga Farmers’ Association members are the rightful landowners with the authority to sell the land, as they possess the necessary legal ownership documents. He mentioned that squatters interested in acquiring the land could negotiate with the management committee through the appropriate channels.
The squatters have vowed not to vacate the land, claiming ownership of the areas where they have settled for over three decades.
