Land protest paralyses transport along Nairobi-Mombasa Highway

VOI, KENYA: The busy Mombasa-Nairobi was for the better part of Monday blocked by angry protesters demanding that ownership of the controversial Voi Sisal Estate  land in Taita Taveta reverted to the community.

The protest that begun in the morning paralysed the flow of traffic along Mombasa-Nairobi Highway for over six hours before the police intervened. Police said they arrested eight people who they say were the ringleaders and that they will be arraigned in court. 

The over 200 protesters were demanding the ownership of the controversial Voi Sisal Estate reverted back to the local community whose 99-year lease they claimed had expired.

According to the police, the protesters numbering over 200 blocked the highway at Caltex area in the outskirts of Voi town and paralysed the free traffic flow of motorists plying the busy highway.

Acting Taita-Taveta County Police Commander Joshua Lutukai said the demonstrators blocked the road demanding that the disputed Voi Sisal Estate should be reverted back to the local community. But leaders of the demonstrators accused the police of being used to suppress their agitation.

The protesters claimed that the disputed land was irregularly allocated to the Greek immigrants.

"The demonstrators claim the Sisal Estate land belongs to their ancestors and they now want it back. Demonstrations are not the right way to demand for the land rights," said the police officer.