More than 100 families in Homa Bay County want the government to stop plans for evicting them from their land.
The residents of Suba Central Sub-county are worried that the National Youth Service (NYS) wants to force them out of their land irregularly.
Their issues stem from the NYS’s initiative of erecting beacons to demarcate the boundaries of its land. The residents complain that the NYS has encroached on their parcels of land through the demarcation done this month.
The situation is now forcing them to quit their homes and farms.
Addressing journalists at Nyadenda Village, the residents said the NYS had encroached on their land with the intention of evicting them.
What is worrying them is that they are being told to relocate without a compensation plan or written notice.
Senior citizen Walter Onyango has been living in the area since 1972. He said the NYS erected beacons for demarcating its land in 1986.
However, there has never been any conflict.
Today, Onyango is surprised that the NYS now claims ownership of his land.
This came after the NYS recently established a new beacon that trespassed into his land. The beacon now locates Onyango’s home in the NYS land.
“I have been living here since 1972. Today, the NYS has established beacons showing I live in its land,” Onyango said.
Onyango argued that the establishment of the new beacons contravenes his rights.
“What has happened here shows that the NYS land expands like Lake Victoria, whose water keeps stretching during rainy seasons. They expect me to demolish my home and relocate to an unknown place. This is wrong,” Onyango said.
Apart from Onyango, a number of families have similar grievances.
Enos Achieng, complainant said they suspect the eviction is aimed at creating space for relocation Homa Bay Prison from Homa Bay Town to Suba Central.
“The information we have is that there are plans to relocate Homa Bay Prison to the NYS land here. But the NYS should not evict us to create land for the prison. Let them stop giving the prison our land,” Achieng said.
Human rights defender Evance Oloo expressed concerns that the families were going to be evicted without any public participation.
Oloo told Lands CS Alice Wahome to intervene in the matter and save the residents’ land.
“We appeal to CS Wahome to ensure proper NYS boundaries are drawn to ensure residents don’t lose their land,” Oloo said.
Michael Kojo, a human rights defender, threatened to go to court if the government fails to address the matter in seven days.
“These people were not given any notice as the law requires. We are giving the government seven days to resolve this matter lest we go to court,” Kojo said.
Suba Central Deputy County Commissioner Naftali Kojo said he had not received the complaint.
“I cannot comment about the matter because it has not been reported in my office,” Kojo said.
