Residents want Mwea scheme titles cancelled

Residents of Muanzo village, Mbeere South hold a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday to express their discontent with the demarcation and allotment of Mwea scheme land. (PHOTO: JOSEPH MUCHIRI/ STANDARD)

Residents of Makima in Mbeere South held a peaceful protest over the demarcation and allotment of Mwea schemeland.

They complained that the majority of families that have lived on the scheme for decades were not allocated land and now risk being evicted.

They vowed to resist any attempts to move them out of their land “to pave the way for outsiders” and called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene urgently.

The 17,000-hectare land was subdivided recently and 7,232 title deeds issued to beneficiaries, mainly individuals from the county.

The county government and various State institutions were also awarded land.

County Lands Executive Josphat Kithumbu said they carried out the process jointly with the Lands ministry and the National Land Commission and followed due process.

But residents claimed they were not involved in the identification of beneficiaries despite the land being located in their ward.

Philip Nzangi, a youth leader, claimed that out of an estimated 23,000 people in the ward, only 130 received titles deeds.

“The people of Makima have lived on this land for many years and even developed it. They include people from Kamba, Mbeere, Embu, Kikuyu and other communities who have co-existed peacefully and even started community schools, health centres and markets. How then can they miss out on allocation of the land while outsiders get it?” posed Nzangi.

Samson Muthiani from Muango said he was born there and even his grandparents lived on the land, adding that he has nowhere to call home.

He said most people are peasants who eke a livelihood out of farming and it was unjust that they should be evicted to pave way for rich people from elsewhere.

Right to property

Philomena Ndinda, an elderly woman who has reportedly lived on the land for decades, said they expect the law to protect them from losing their land as the Constitution safeguards their right to property.

He said in the 1970s when an adjacent 50,000 acre land was subdivided and beneficiaries issued with titles, those who missed were moved to the scheme and promised that they would benefit later.

Area MP Mutava Musyimi and Makima MCA Peninah Mutua have also criticised the way the process was carried out and demanded that the titles be declared null and void and the process repeated.