Church members in street protest

Presbyterian Church of East Africa Ayub Kinyua Parish members protest in Eldoret against alleged land grabbing by the county government. [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]Presbyterian Church of East Africa Ayub Kinyua Parish members protest in Eldoret against alleged land grabbing by the county government. [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]

It was all bibles, placards and chants of protest in Eldoret as members of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), Ayub Kinyua Parish cut short their first service to pursue ‘justice’ in the streets.

The faithful were demonstrating over alleged attempted land grabbing by the county government.

Parish Minister Ephraim Ng’anga’ told the Press that the county government is after their two-acre piece of land, which they legally acquired from John Kiplagat Songok and David Serem at a cost of Sh2 million.

“We bought this land in 1998 after following all due procedures as stipulated in law and even got a lease certificate in 2003 after applying for exemption from stamp duty,” he said.

According to the cleric, legal suits later ensued and the High Court in Eldoret issued orders barring interested parties from doing any development on the property.

High Court Judge Silah Munyao asked both parties to refrain from undertaking any transactions on the land or making any development on the property.

“It is the county government that took us to court claiming we have encroached on their land despite showing them all the necessary ownership documents. We have also honoured the court’s directive and are waiting for the final ruling,” he said.

Court order

He however, said church members were alarmed when strangers earlier this year came to the parcel of land and started demarcating it with fencing posts, which prompted them to seek legal redress.

“Our lawyer served the county secretary over the illegal developments but there was no response. Then this week, the same people came and put up an iron sheet fence despite the court order,” the parish leader said.

It was this development that angered church officials and other members, who marched to the county headquarters offices seeking audience with Governor Jackson Mandago who, being a weekend, was not at the office.

Julius Manuthu, the church’s session clerk said it was illogical for the county to term the piece of land as illegally acquired public land yet it had received land rates for the year.

“The government issued a gazette notice barring public authorities from receiving rates payment from fraudulently acquired parcels of land. We paid Sh315,000 rates to the county and they gave us an invoice which goes to show that this land was not illegally acquired,” he said.