By Antony Gitonga   

GILGIL, KENYA: Tens of squatters were forced to sleep in the open after hired youths demolished their house in the controversial Oljorai farm in Elementaita in Gilgil.

This came as the ownership of the vast land formerly belonging to Agriculture Development Corporation (ADC) erupted with various owners laying ownership to the land.

In yesterday’s incident hired youths descended on semi-permanent structures in Kapkules village in the middle of the night demolishing over 20 houses.

According to a victim William Koros, the raid took them by surprise as there was court order barring the eviction.

He said that some of them had lived in the area for over 15 years adding that the hired youths looted from some of the houses.

“We have documents proving ownership of this land and we are calling on the government to intervene in this matter,” he said.

Another victim Stephen Njoroge noted that majority of those living in the farm were former IDPs who were settled there by the government.

“We used the Sh25,000 given by the government to buy this parcels of land and we are surprised by this eviction,”

But a Nakuru trader, Ngari Mucoki, who owns part of the 110 acres accused the IDPs of encroaching on part of his land.

He said that he and some of his partners acquired the land in 2003 from a group of Maasai who had been given the land by ADC.

“We have all the required documents and the IDPs are trying to get sympathy so that they can get a piece of the land,” he said.

Ngari noted that the squatters had invaded 40 acres of their land adding that they too had a right to own land.

Gilgil DC Kamau Karungo confirmed the eviction saying that the squatters were on the land illegally.

He said that none of the IDPs had legal documents on the piece of land and called them to respect the law.

“A group of squatters have been laying claim on the piece of land but unfortunately they do not have documents to prove this,”

He denied allegations that the squatters were attacked adding that they had been given prior notice to vacate from the piece of land.