Swazuri; There is no gazette notice on Kamiti Anmer land

National Land Commission (NLC) Chairman Muhammud Swazuri flanked by Chair Land Evaluation and tax Committee Tom Konyimbih (left). [David Gichuru/Standard]

A dispute involving prime land claimed by five groups will only be resolved if a new gazette notice is issued to the rightful owners, National Land Commission Chairman Muhammad Swazuri has said.

The Kamiti/Anmer parcel measuring 419 acres is at the centre of a protracted ownership battle involving Kamiti Forests Squatters Association (Kafsa), Muungano wa Kamiti Group and Kamiti Anmer Development Welfare Group (KADWG) on the one hand, and Kenya Forest Service and Kamiti Development Association (Kada) on the other.

Of the 419 acres, the Kanu government directed that 300 acres be allocated to the squatters in 1994.

Yesterday, Prof Swazuri (pictured) said the land documents in their possession did not belong to any of the groups fighting for ownership.

“We hope we will resolve the dispute among the groups. It is the groups fighting among themselves and NLC is only an arbiter in the dispute,” he said.

Swazuri said the Ministry of Lands had de-gazetted the land but there was never any new gazette notice given to that effect to any of the groups claiming ownership.

“We have a gazette notice of the de-gazettement by the Ministry of Lands but the land has never been gazetted. KFS also disputes the documents in possession of another group, claiming the land was de-gazetted,” said Swazuri.

Kafsa has applied for de-gazettment of the land and even commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment.