Residents of Nyatike constituency have been warned not to surrender pieces of their land to strangers invading the region in search of gold.This is according to area MP is Tom Odege.
Politicians are turning the gold mining issue key in 2027 elections. It will have impact also on senate, governor, MCA and woman representative.
Migori goldmines
To win votes, politicians are claiming that the land is communal and private investors are encroaching on it. It is said former Nyatike MP Omondi Anyanga is fronting for outsiders to take over the land.
Miners have reportedly invaded the region raising eyebrows and residents are questioning why strangers who may be having criminal backgrounds are roaming around causing fear among locals. Saying law enforcers should be vigilant to flush sinister characters in their midst. Local administrators are expected to report to the government to take appropriate action on the strangers hiding in the villages. Villagers are panicking over such characters and say police should act swiftly and apprehend sinister characters hiding in their midst, Odege pleaded.
The legislator while speaking at Migori bus park said Macalder land belonged to Nyatike people and greedy elements should not attempt to influence Nyatike people to sell land to strangers at throwaway perices.
Odege while responding to comments raised by residents said strangers out to acquire land at Macalder fraudulently should be warned never to confuse desperate residents to sell land at throwaway prices.
Odege vowed never to allow area residents to sell or lease land to people taking advantage of their desperate situation.
He said strangers have been spotted roaming around in vehicles to persuade residents to lease lands to them. He said Macalder is known as a gold prospecting region and strangers should not attempt to influence desperate residents to acquire their lands.
The legislator took issue with former Migori county government officials whom he accused of attempting to gazette Macalder region to be preserved as forest land yet they had hidden agenda to surrender the entire region to greedy and corrupt individuals from outside to prospect gold. He blamed the regime of ignoring to protect interest of Kenyan citizens but pursuing personal issues at the expense of desperate and defenseless citizens.
He said he will table a motion in parliament to be discussed saying it is worrying that prominent politicians from outside Nyanza are the ones confusing poor residents in Nyatike to surrender their ancestral land to them. He said he will convene meetings with local leaders to sensitise area residents to report in case sinister characters are spotted roaming in their midst.
The legislator criticised his political competitors for deceiving Nyatike constituents to register as members of political parties.
He said that local leaders should also be vigilant as complaints have been raised that some strangers are dishing out money to local leaders to allow them access certain areas.
Macalder region is a protected area for gold mining and characters with ill motives should not attempt to confuse residents taking advantage of the current economic situation to confuse desperate members of the society to acquire their land, he said.
Odege appealed to security officials to ensure patrol in the entire region to get out strangers hiding in the villages.
