Fresh survey on tea farms to address historical injustices

A survey ordered on land allocated to multinational tea companies in Kericho and Bomet counties is set to answer decades-old question over the size of land they occupy.

The National Land Commission Historical Land Injustice Committee directive has been welcomed by members of the Kipsigis community and the Talai clan who were evicted from their land in 1902.

During their presentations before the Dr Samuel Tororei-led committee, community representatives pointed out that land alienation in Kenya began in 1901 when East Africa (Lands) Order was issued.

This was followed by the Crown Lands Ordinances of 1902, 1915 and 1919 in which huge chunks of the Kipsigis native land was declared 'Crown Land'. 

Rev James Passy, David Ngasura Tuwei and Peter Kiprotich Bett for the Talai and Judith Cherotich for the Borowo and Kipsigis appeared before the commission.

.

Keep Reading business

•  NCPB sets in motion plans to compensate farmers for fake fertiliser
•  Governors reject revenue Bill, demand Sh439.5 billion allocation
•  Firm linked to fake fertiliser calls for arrest of Linturi, NCPB boss Premium
•  KPLC to pay Sh500 million for Nakumatt fire tragedy
•  Scented success: Passion for cologne birthed my venture Premium

“In 1905, the Kipsigis lost 90,000 acres of land in what is today Londiani. The colonial government divided this huge land into 18 blocks of 5,000 acres each and gave it to British settlers,” said Joel Kimutai Bosek, the claimants' lawyer.

Mr Bosek said the British Government created apartheid-like Bantustans named Lubwa Reserves in Sotik, Bureti and Belgut in 1907 to accommodate the displaced population.

“In 1911, more Kipsigis families were forced out of their land into the reserves. The subsequent alienation ended up dividing Kericho into four principle regions considered prime areas for European settlement,” said Bosek.

The areas were; Lumbwa (encompassing modern day Kipkelion and Londiani), Sotik (encompassing modern Sotik, Litein and Bomet), Tinderet (encompassing modern Songhor, Koru and Fort Ternan) and Kericho which included much if its present area and the surroundings.  

“In between these areas were three main 'native' reserves - Belgut, Bureti and Sot. These are areas that were exclusively reserved for Kipsigis native occupation and where their movement was restricted,” said Bosek

The Dr Tororei-led committee stated that the multinational tea companies must lease land from the county governments at commercial rates and that land with expired leases should not be renewed without the concurrence of the counties where the land is domiciled.