Hundreds of Trans Mara South residents on Tuesday protested over illegal adjudication of their communal land, saying over 1,000 members were left as non-members were sneaked into the register.
They accused authorities and some powerful individuals of illegally subdividing their land.
On several occasions, land issues have led to ugly confrontations with residents now fearing that the rising tension may explode into full-blown chaos.
Kimintet Ward MCA Sankau Ole Ntokoyuan addressing the press at Kimintent, Narok County on January 3, 2022.
Photo credit: Ruth Mbula | Nation Media Group
The land owners, who are members of the Kimintet Land Adjudication Section, alleged that powerful individuals within Narok County had formed illegal land committees to oversee the subdivision against their will. They claimed that there was no public participation.
They accused some powerful individuals of attempting to push their agenda in total disregard to court orders that barred them from demarcating their land.
Ancestral land
Efforts by the Nation.Africa to seek clarification from the Sub-County Security team did not bear fruit.
Kimintet Ward MCA Sankau ole Ntokoyuan, who led the protests, said they will not allow continued oppression by those in power.
He accused former top Narok County leaders, Trans Mara land officials of conspiring to deprive them of their ancestral land.
“A former top county leader and MCA are subdividing our land. Why are some members missing their rightful share?” wondered the MCA.
“There is tension here, but we do not want bloodshed,” said the MCA.
Mr Philip Narasha said they are questioning the process of compiling the adjudication register which he claimed was shrouded in secrecy.
“For three times now, community members have visited the Land office in Kilgoris to look for the Area List, the survey maps for Kimintet E and F and the adjudication register all in vain. Every time, officials there have refused to give us the public documents saying only a court order can allow them to give it out. We are asking the Lands CS to transfer the officers there for abuse of office,” said Mr Narasha.
He accused land officials and the police of attempting to disinherit the community of its land.
“No meeting has ever been held anywhere in Kimintet to elect a new committee. The team comprises friends of local politicians appointed illegally by land officials,” said Mr Narasha.
They further noted that half of the members in the register are not residents.
“The adjudication process has created a group of 600 landless people who will be forced to become squatters. These people have lived in Kimintet all their lives but were left out from the register despite paying the requisite fee,” said Mr Narasha.
He added, “The process of declaring Kimintet E and F as an adjudication section was done secretly and illegally. Not only are the two sections overlapping with Kimintet ‘D’, the declaration was done in February 2020 but the members learnt about it six months later after the expiry of the period for filing objections which violates the Land Adjudication Act Cap 284 and the Constitution of Kenya.”
