Tens of families were evicted from the controversial Narasha Lands, now belongs to KenGen

By Antony Gitonga                             

Nairobi, Kenya: After months of uncertainty, the controversial Narasha land where some communities were recently evicted will now be sold to KenGen for geothermal power.

The expansive farm that is part of the larger Ng'ati farm will be used to generate electricity through the drilling of geothermal wells.

Last year, there was a bloody clash on the disputed land where tens of families were evicted forcing the head of state to intervene.

The chairman of the Ng'ati farm Patrick Karanja said they had formalized a deal that will see the energy generating company acquire the 3,093 acres of Narasha land.

Karanja said some 581 members of the Ng'ati farm will benefit with the deal that is now awaiting payment.

"It is true that we are going to sell the Narasha land to KenGen so that the ongoing exploration can continue,” he said.

The chairman said some officers from Kengen had explored the area and found it has potential to deliver geothermal power.

"We will be selling the land to KenGen who have been very supportive to us so as to end the wrangles over the ownership of this land,” he said.

Karanja said the deal indicated that communities living in the land be moved before the formal acquisition is done.

"We are calling on the government to expedite the process of compensating the victims who were forcefully evicted last year so that KenGen can take over".

He denied reports appearing in some sections of the press that they had been paid noting that every member was duly consulted.

On his part, the secretary of the expansive farm John Kamau called on politicians in the area to stop inciting the community over the intended take-over.

Kamau pointed to an MCA in the area who had been inciting residents of Maella that the land was being sold without their approval.

"The politicians should stop interfering with our work and they should let us rest this matter just as we started it,” he said.

Kamau said Narasha area was a security zone and no one should interfere with the land until the communities who were affected are fully compensated.

"When the president came here he instructed that the families affected be compensated and we call on the concerned authorities to fast track the process,” he said.