UASIN GISHU: One person has been killed, a police officer injured and several houses burnt after a confrontation between police and squatters from the expansive Moiben farm in Uasin Gishu County.
Police officers in Uasin Gishu County were from Wednesday evening dispatched to the over 2000 acres of land to restore calm after the squatters who have been residing there since independence burnt a tractor ploughing the land and chasing away workers.
Early this month another policeman and several civilians were seriously injured after an eviction attempt by hired individuals went awry. Angry squatters armed with bows, arrows and machetes burnt two vehicles valued at over Sh7 million beyond repair.
Nelson Taliti, Eldoret East OCPD who was in charge of the operation told the press that police officers were prompted to return fire after they were confronted by the squatters who he alleged had AK47 rifles.
“The killed individual was among a group of armed individuals who opened fire to officers that were heading to the farm and even shot one of our men on the leg, this forced the officers to respond by shooting back,” said Taliti.
According to Taliti, the squatters who vanished to the thickets had several guns and that they have launched an immediate operation to recover the guns which pose a security threat in the already tension-filled area.
The OCPD said the injured policeman was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) for treatment.
Moiben residents who were angered by the squatters’ trend of vandalism after they burnt the tractor on Wednesday backed with the police to repel and overpower the squatters and in the process burnt down houses.
Over 800 squatters’ families and Kibogy Properties Limited have been battling for the ownership of the 2098 acres piece of land in court making several appeals since 1991 without arriving at any solution.
During the May 1st protest William Lusweti who relocated to the controversial land in 1948 says they have been in court since 1991 after the late Jonathan Kibogy who had leased the land between 1970 and 1985 wanted them out of the land they had known as their only home.
“My parents relocated to this farm in 1948 when I was 15years, In 1970 Kibogy transacted a lease with the tenure expected to expire in 1985, we were puzzled when he tried to chase us,” said Lusweti.
Another squatter who spoke to The Standard via phone on the basis of anonymity after vanishing to the bushes accused corrupt government for making the matter stall in court, adding that the man who alleges to own the farm destroyed their property several time making it difficult for them even to produce food.
“We cannot say much for now because police are after us not considering our side of the story, our local leaders have never attempted to help solve the stalemate and now we are in the bush not sure of where we will live again,” he said.
Mr Kiptoo Kibogy who owns the land says his father bought the land in dispute and squarely paid for it, accusing the squatters for wanting to assume its ownership using unorthodox means and destructing his property.
“These families were just employed to work in the farm and haven’t paid anything to guarantee ownership, I have lost property now well over Sh10 million due to their crude ways of approaching this matter, they lost the case in court and must understand conditions for appeal,” said Kiptoo.
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