Orphans in Baringo County left without home as officers enforce court order

Residents of Kamgoin village in Baringo County reeled in shock after 10 orphans were forcibly evicted and their house demolished.

This incident follows a land dispute pitting the family of the late Jacob Chepchieng, who died four years ago, and his cousin Paziliza Jemutai over ownership of a seven-acre parcel of land.

Chepchieng's daughter, Bernadette, displays a title deed bearing her father's name. (PHOTO: JOSEPH KIPSANG/STANDARD)

During the incident, police officers from Karbanet also supervised the burial of Jemutai’s mother Talaa Kipyakwai on the land. The body had been lying at Kabarnet District Hospital mortuary for the last four months following the dispute.

Three other graves on the land - Chepchieng’s, his wife’s and daughter’s - were left intact, with police saying a planned exhumation had been postponed.

Jemutai had moved to court in 2012 seeking orders to evict Chepchieng’s son Barnabas Tiemoi from the land accusing him of trespassing.

A ruling by Justice Silas Munyao on August 1, 2013 ordered Tiemoi’s eviction from the farm and awarded Jemutai Sh10,000 damages.

 Fresh grave

Several armed administration and regular police officers arrived in two police vehicles, accompanied by Jemutai and auctioneers at about 10am and ordered a fresh grave dug. Kabarnet acting OCPD said they were acting on an order issued by the Environment and Land Court in Eldoret.

Pleas from Chepchieng’s children were ignored.

Hundreds of residents milled around the farm as hired youths dig a grave before a burial ceremony was hurriedly conducted.

Tiemoi said they were not served with a court order and their attempts to produce a title deed bearing their father’s name did not help.

At midday, villagers and neighbours at the scene were ordered out of the compound as the youths brought down the main house and other structures that included a maize store.

The children said they were not given an opportunity to salvage their belongings with police officers threatening action in case of any resistance.

The details, in the document produced by Tiemoi showed Chepchieng was issued with the title in January 1980. His wife Regina died in April this year.

According to Chepchieng’s daughter, Nancy, Jemutai should have laid her mother to rest at Sagasaki village where her father was buried as dictated by Kalenjin community burial traditions. “Since our parents died, we have been denied opportunity to cultivate or engage in any development activities in this farm. We have suffered enough humiliation in the hands of Jemutai,” she said.

David Keringi, a neighbour, described it as unfortunate and asked the Government to investigate the matter. Police officers and the complainant declined to produce the said eviction order.

Although Jemutai said she was the genuine land owner, the ID numbers in a Kenya Gazette notice failed to match that of her father’s.