Chaos erupt as Land Commission, Lamu residents clash over land probe

Lamu Ranch owners go physical at the Land commission offices at Community during a meeting with the commission on the illegal allocations in Lamu. [PHOTO: TABITHA OTWORI/STANDARD]

LAMU COOUNTY: Chaos erupted between the National Land Commission (NLC) and a section of Lamu residents during an inquiry meeting at the commission's office in Nairobi.

Trouble started at the end of session when about 10 people tried to talk to NLC Chair Muhammad

Swazuri, but were apparently restrained. They started arguing with some officials and security personnel after which there ensued pushing and shouting.

The group expressed pessimism in the ongoing investigation by NLC, saying an outcome had already been predetermined. "We have seen a lot of bias in dealing with the matter and we are sure we can never get justice from either the Government or NLC," read a joint statement.

The residents said the approach taken by the Government on the issue was a way to deny the locals the right to determine their future through management of local resources. In a  statement signed by Salim Fani, Abdulwahid Mohamed and Sobana Sharif, the residents claimed the directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Lamu's disputed land had more than meets the eye. "We the people of Lamu are reading politics and a move by a section political elites to displace and deny us our land rights," reads the statement.

The locals have also threatened to go to court if the Government continues to interfere with their community land, saying the matter should be dealt with at the county level.

Swazuri said they had visited the ground of the ranch in dispute, but were still listening to submissions from different groups before making the final report. "There is a big difference between what we have been told and what we saw on the ground," said Swazuri.

Investigations will be completed tomorrow and a report presented to President Kenyatta at the weekend.