Mau mau veterans to get land in Laikipia

Mau mau women freedom fighters in the forest. [File, Standard]

Over 8,000 former freedom fighters and their descendants are set to benefit from a piece of land each courtesy of the Dedan Kimathi Foundation.

The mau mau veterans and their descendant have been waiting for decades for the government to come to their rescue as majority of them live in abject poverty while others have been struggling to get recognition for the government for the sacrifice they made during the colonial times.

However, according to the directors of the Dedan Kimathi Foundation, they have been mobilizing resources to help buy land for the war veterans.

The group is now planning to purchase a 12,000 acre piece of land at Thome location in Laikipia County where it intends to settle the former freedom fighters.

Speaking while at the farm located at Mathira Sub-location near Rumuruti trading centre, Dedan Kimathi Foundition CEO Evelyn Wanjugu said the land has been secured after discussions with the landowners identified as Mathira-Kahonoki investment.

"We will soon purchase the land and allocate it to needy mau mau veterans who have been living in abject poverty. We have already identified them so that they can now live on their own land," she said.

Wanjugu said the group was ready to settle at the farm since the government had also improved security in the area.

She said that members are only required to register with Sh. 1,000 and also give a commitment fee of Sh5, 000. This will enable them get 3.5 acre piece of land while the rest will be done in collaboration with other partners among them the UN that have shown interest in support the former freedom fighters.

Fredrick Maina, the Chairman of the Mathira-Kahoni Investment said members had given blessing to the company directors to dispose-off the land saying each member will receive his rightful share once the process is completed.

Thome Location Chief martin Macharia who also attended the meeting on behalf of the Provincial administration said the land owners who hailed from Nyeri were unable to develop the land and hence consolidated all their tittle deeds to ease the process of disposing it.

He said majority of the resident also cited insecurity as a major reason why they were unwilling to settle there but assured the mau mau freedom fighters that the government had put into place proper measures to ensure their safety.

He observed that the government has managed to drive off illegal grazers from Samburu, Isiolo, and Baringo Counties who had put up shanties at the farm, and hence it was safe to settle.