Puzzle of chief who owns a quarter of his sub-location

Governor John Lonyangapuo (right) and West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello. The two visited the disputed land and held a security meeting to ease tensions. [Irissheel Shanzu, Standard]

Authorities in West Pokot are investigating how an assistant chief in West Pokot acquired up to 2,569 acres in the sub-location where he serves.

The assistant chief and his two brothers are said to own at least 3,000 acres, nearly a quarter of Katikomor Sub-location, which is 12,355 acres.

One person was killed on Wednesday evening in a dispute over land, said to be the property of Kanyarkwat Group Ranch.

Armed attack

Longiro Lwokwasit, 26, and his three brothers, were attacked by a group of 10 armed men who accused them of occupying the disputed land illegally.

He died after being shot with a poisoned arrow.

According to Kanyarkwat location chief Julius Rongono, nearly 100 families live on the disputed property, and the assistant chief is suspected of using threats and intimidation to evict them.

Security officials say they are investigating the assistant chief after Wednesday's attack.

"He and his brothers fled after the attack and we are searching for them. We suspect they have crossed over to Uganda," said Rongono.

Local authorities suspect that the assistant chief acquired the property after registering a land-buying company in which he is the director.

West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello said he has suspended the assistant chief and interdicted an assistant county commissioner pending investigations into Wednesday's killing and the land's ownership.

According to Okello, investigators suspect that the assistant chief colluded with his two brothers to grab thousands of acres and forcibly evict families that have been living in the area for more than a decade.

He said the title deed for the property was acquired through Kapenguria land office in a process that security officials suspect was fraudulent. 

"Police  are investigating how the three brothers got the title deed. Those who signed all land documents that led to the release of the title deed will also be investigated,” said Okello.

Governor John Lonyangapuo visited the disputed property on Thursday.

According to the governor, the county stands to lose at least Sh60 million in schools, markets and other projects standing on the land.

Lonyangapuo said the title deed of the disputed land was under the name of Lomangiro Investment Limited and was issued in 2018. He appealed to the land office to revoke the deed pending investigations.

He was speaking at Katikomor area during a security meeting to ease rising tension triggered by the land dispute.

Residents currently living on the property accused the assistant chief of attempting to evict them from their ancestral land.

“He owns nearly the entire sub-location, now he is chasing us from our ancestral land,” said Wilson Cheraruk.