President Kenyatta orders review of title deeds in Mwea Settlement Scheme

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered a review of title deeds in Mwea Settlement Scheme to ensure fairness in the allocation of land.

Speaking during his rally at Mwea in Embu County on Thursday, President Kenyatta said that only legitimate land owners should benefit from the allocation, calling for a fast solution to the long-standing tussle over the 42,000 hectares Mwea Trust Land.

The president’s remarks come weeks after Kirinyaga governorship aspirant Anne Waiguru raised concerns over irregular allocation of land in parts of the county that has left hundreds of locals living as squatters.

In her rallies last week, Ms Waiguru reiterated her resolve to ensure an end to cases of landlessness in the county by calling for fresh audit of past allocations that saw unqualified individuals get huge chunks of land, once she takes office.

Ms Waiguru, who is the Jubilee candidate for the Kirinyaga governorship seat, was speaking in reference to a decade-long tussle between locals and the local government (later the county government) over the allocation of South Ngariama Ranching Scheme.

She promised to issue 6,000 title deeds to squatters living in South Ngariama and resolve the longstanding dispute once and for all, if she wins the Kirinyaga governor's seat.

Locals have accused several local leaders, among them NARC Kenya leader Martha Karua, of having a hand in the irregular subdivision and allocation of the land, previously held under Trust by the defunct County Council of Kirinyaga.

Ms Karua is accused of using her influence as Gichugu MP and Justice Minister in Mwai Kibaki’s administration to apportion her family huge chunks of land, while also ‘gifting’ her political allies and close confidants with the same.

The former Gichugu MP’s father was allegedly allocated 10 acres; her brother got 12 acres, while her sister was allegedly allocated three acres. Karua’s sister and brother have since sold the piece of land for millions of shillings.

The company that was single-sourced to handle the demarcation of the land is allegedly owned by Karua’s running mate Joseph Gitari – the outgoing MP for Kirinyaga Central.

She has however rubbished the concerns raised by the locals insisting that the process of land allocation was above board.

“The subdivision was done by clan elders and took in the landless from Gichugu, Ndia, Kirinyaga Central and Mwea Constituencies, The process was transparent and fair,” said Karua when she appeared before House Committee on Land and Natural Resources in 2010.

The land debate has escalated over the past months with the locals calling for a just process that will ensure they are resettled.