Kamiti squatters hopeful as House debates land report

The report tabled by Lands Committee chair Rachael Nyamai

Nearly 1,500 squatters could benefit from a share of a disputed parcel of land in Nairobi should the National Assembly adopt a report recommending that they be granted ownership.

The 300-acre land in contention is part of 419 acres of forest land in Kamiti, which has seen the Kenya Forestry Service pulled into a dispute with five groups that claim to have been allocated the land by the Kanu government.

The report tabled by Lands Committee chair Rachael Nyamai, recommends that pursuant to Section 34 of the Forest Conservation and Management Act, LR. No. 8390 Kamiti/ Anmer Forest be de-gazetted and excised from Kamiti Forest.

The committee recommends that titles already issued are regularised to resettle members of the Kamiti Forest Squatters Association, Kamiti Anmer Development Association, Muungano Kamiti Group and Kamiti Anmer Development Welfare Group.

The land was surveyed in 1954 as Kamiti Forest Reserve measuring 419 acres and 149 title deeds have since been issued at the Kiambu Land Registry to individual owners.

The committee observed that although there were several groups laying claim to the land in question, three groups had struck an agreement and developed a reconciled list of allottees to be awarded titles.

The committee further argues that there are individual owners who have invested in building residential houses. The National Government Constituency Development Fund has also put up public facilities like schools hence failure to degazette the forest would lead to loss of livelihoods and public funds.

After a field visit by the committee, the lawmakers said the land was nearly fully occupied as evidenced by the presence of residential houses, public primary schools constructed using public funds, provision of water and electricity services, churches and a cemetery, among other public facilities.

The committee also observed that in the High Court Miscellaneous Case No. 1446 of 1994, the court held that the land was legally alienated by the defunct County Council of Kiambu to the allottees.