State plots fresh evictions from Mombasa government land near Waitiki

Anxiety is growing among hundreds of squatters after the State indicated they will be evicted from Shonda in Likoni, Mombasa County, in the coming weeks.

The 50-acre piece of land they occupy is adjacent to a 943-acre tract that the State bought from Evanson Waitiki to settle nearly 8,000 squatters who had occupied it for decades.

The squatters were each required to pay about Sh120,000 to be settled thus ending a protracted 16-year court battle.

About 1,000 illegal settlers then invaded and sub-divided the neighbouring land with some building houses and other permanent structures while others engaged in farming.

The squatters, it turned out, were also eyeing compensation from the construction of the Dongo Kundu bypass.

On Monday, top security officials led by County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo and County Police Commander Augustine Nthumbi toured Shonda and warned that the land would be repossessed.

“The land in question is government property and it is needed for development. A university will be constructed here. Let them start packing before we move in,” Mr Kitiyo said.

The administrator revealed that the State also plans to build a college and police station on the property. Construction of a health facility, he noted, was almost complete.

Sh1.2b projects

“The Treasury has already released Sh1.2 billion that was set aside for the projects. Work is expected to commence anytime soon,” said Kitiyo, who chairs the county security team.

He further warned the occupants of the land not to expect any compensation or alternative land from the government, saying such plans did not exist because they had knowingly settled on land earmarked for public utilities.

“The people being compensated are those who were forcibly removed from the land they occupied and have legal documents. But these ones are illegal occupants and they were informed earlier of the same,” said Kitiyo.

The administrator added that the proposed educational institutions would greatly benefit residents by creating jobs and attracting businesses.

But occupants of the land expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision and asked the authorities to look for alternative land for the projects instead of destabilising their lives.

The settlers, however, confirmed that they were not issued with valid documents to support their ownership claims. They said the land was measured out and they were advised to get to know their neighbours.

Peter Kariuki, who has put up structures on a quarter-acre piece of land, said he bought the land for Sh800,000 from sellers who told him the land was originally owned by white settlers and its lease had expired.

“Where will I go since I put all my money here after selling my properties up-country?” Mr Kariuki asked.

Mohammed Ramadhan, another settler, said he was assured that the government would not evict them and would instead buy the land.

“The government should leave us alone. We have nowhere to go. Owners had told us that the State will sub-divide the land like the Waitiki one, and it should do so,” said Mr Ramadhan.