Give us land, squatters tell Government

Squatters in Hombe,Chehe and Ragati villages in Mathira,Nyeri County,protest outside the Nyeri Regional coordinator's office Naftaly Mungathia on February 11 2016.PHOTO:KIBATA KIHU/STANDARD.

More than 7,000 people who were evicted from forests in Mathira  have pleaded with the Government to resettle them.

The squatters, who presented a petition to Central Regional Co-ordinator Naftali Mungathia yesterday, claimed the Government had promised to resettle them but never did so.

"The Government initially promised to allocate us land at Solio settlement scheme but only a few rich individuals benefited from the exercise," the group's chairman Peter Gateru said.

Mr Gateru said squatters from Ragati, Hombe and Chehe had an agreement with the Government that they would be allocated plots in 1985 after planting trees under the Nyayo Tea Zone programme.

"When the tea was ready for harvest, the Government dishonoured our agreement and we were ejected. We have by the roadside for the last 30 years," Gateru.

He added: "During the eviction our houses were burnt down and our means of livelihood destroyed," Irene Wanjiru added.

Mngathia informed the squatters he had already presented their grievances to President Kenyatta.