Waitiki now surrenders 930-acre farm to State

Controversial land owner Evanson Waitiki announced at a public rally Wednesday that he had surrendered his 930-acre farm to the Government for settlement of squatters, ending nearly 20 years of a protracted court battle for the prime property.

Mr Waitiki and his wife Bertha Wanjiru Kamau were with outgoing acting Lands Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i at Shika Adabu Primary School grounds where the couple confirmed having willingly surrendered their land.

He, however, declined to declare how much the Government had offered him for the land, saying talks were still going on and he would make an announcement on the sale price at a later stage.

Mrs Waitiki said the family would not interfere with the survey process which Dr Matiang’i ordered to start immediately and be completed by December 21.

Dr Matiang’i and National Land Commission (NLC) Chairman Muhammad Swazuri announced a crash programme for the demarcation exercise that would lead to issuance of title deeds on January 5, next year, by President Kenyatta himself.

“The survey and demarcation of the Waitiki land will be done 24 hours a day and seven days a week and be completed before Christmas,” Matiang’i said.

The CS introduced a special deputy county commissioner, Mr Joseph Kanyi, who would head the survey team.

Matiang’i said land officers will use aerial survey and satellite imaging to speed up the survey work on Waitiki farm.

Latest technology

“We are going to use the latest (biometric) technology to capture data for the squatters including national identity cards, photographs and fingerprints so that the squatters can be stopped from getting land in other settlement schemes meant for the landless,” the CS said.

Prof Swazuri noted that many squatters have been invading several parcels of land with the aim of selling the plots once they acquire title deeds.

“The Government is committed to resettling squatters but we are not going to condone those who acquire land for commercial purposes,” Swazuri warned.

He said the Constitution provides for prosecution of squatters who sell land allocated to them by the State.

Swazuri and Matiang’i said the Lands ministry and NLC have ended supremacy wars after signing an agreement on Tuesday.

“Kenyans should expect the commission and the Ministry of Lands to work harmoniously after the signing of the agreement. The commission and the ministry will also work closely with the county governments on land matters as provided for under the Constitution,” Swazuri said.

Last week, Watiki and Likoni MP Mwalimu Mwahimu appeared in a picture with President Kenyatta at State House where an alleged framework agreement to end the squatter crisis was announced.

The details of the framework agreement were not given at the Likoni meeting and even Mwahimu, who attended last week’s negotiations at State House in Nairobi, said he was not aware how much Waitiki would get as compensation.