Shock as hundreds told to move out of island

By JOSEPH   MASHA

The over 700 squatter families living on Kadaina Island in Matsangoni location in Kilifi County are in shock after the National Land Commission (NLC) pronounced their occupation of the island illegal. 

Their sense of anxiety was heightened yesterday when the NLC, which they approached for titles to pieces of land they have lived on since the 1970s, declared that they have been on the island illegally.

“The law is very clear that all islands are government resources and cannot be used as residential zones or for any other purpose,” said the NLC chairman, Dr Mohammed Swazuri, when he addressed the squatters.

Dr Swazuri told the squatters that government records indicated that the island, located within Watamu Creek in the Indian Ocean and which has two schools, Marafiki Primary and Marafiki Secondary, as well as extensive farmland, belongs to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).

Until the mid-1970s, the island, whose size is not known, was uninhabited but now has hundreds of residents and coconut farms. The schools were built through foreign donor funds.

The families, which have lived on the island since in the 1970s, are said to have encroached from the neighbouring mainland and built houses. Dr Swazuri who met with the leaders of the squatters at the Matsangoni chief’s office said all islands are supposed to have been gazetted as protected sites under the KWS.

Earlier, the island residents led by Pastor Albert Mwanje had lodged complaints with the NLC chairman protesting the government’s failure to issue them with title deeds despite occupying the land for decades.

Pastor Mwanje said the schools had been built with donor funding and added that residents felt the government had an obligation to settle them permanently.

The pastor said although KWS had claimed ownership of the island, it had never alerted them against developing the area and hence the settlers feel they legally own the island.

“Our parents moved to live on this island in the 1970s and since then, we have developed the area with permanent buildings and cash crops like coconuts. The Government ought to settle us here by giving us title deeds,” said Pastor Mwanje.

Responding to the complaints, Dr Swazuri promised to look for more information regarding the island. However, he warned that the squatters would be asked to leave if reports prove it belongs to the government. He added that the government would not entertain investors and individuals who encroached protected areas.

He noted that a mini-audit covering the inspectorate and environment revealed that the former council had ghost workers whose names are still on the council payroll.