Squatters at Solio Ranch cry out for justice after being left out of resettlement

A resident, Sarah Wanjiku, 72, with her grandchildren outside her shanty in Ihuro slums, Mathira, Nyeri County. Some squatters in the county are still waiting to be resettled.  [PHOTO: MOSE SAMMY/STANDARD]

By JOB WERU

Nyeri County : About 200 families that were left out during the resettlement of squatters at Solio Ranch in Nyeri are still seeking justice.

The families were not lucky enough to be settled in the 15,000-acre Solio resettlement scheme, where 3,000 squatters were settled in 2010.

It is alleged that some unscrupulous people, including members of the provincial administration, tinkered with the genuine list of squatters, leaving them out. The matter was investigated by the Ethics and Anti corruption Commission, although no report has been released.

Now the families want the county government to help them get resettled as their chance to get land in the previous exercise was scuttled.

The squatters from Iruri Village in Mathira have written a petition to the county government seeking its intervention as their cries over the past three years have fallen on deaf ears.

Last week, the squatters claimed they were duped by the government and some individuals who allocated the land meant for them to some “rich and politically-connected people”.

Richard Muriuki, who presented the petition to Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua, said most of the rogue beneficiaries were relatives of local politicians and members of the provincial administration.

“We have been leading desolate lives while the land we were promised in Solio Ranch was allocated to wealthy people. Some of the illegal beneficiaries are relatives of members of the provincial administration and some former MPs from Nyeri County,” said Mr Muriuki.

Mathira MP Peter Weru has promised to follow the matter up with the anti-corruption commission to ensure that those behind the scam are prosecuted.

“I’m trying to get more details about the con game that went on and we will be demanding action from the government. Such injustices should not go unprosecuted,” said the MP. The government spent Sh1.275 billion on the resettlement land at Solio, an amount that was Sh25 million short of the whole amount that the government had set aside in the 2006/07 financial year to settle squatters in the country.

Yesterday, James Maina Mugo, the Executive Director of Social Watch, confirmed that his organisation petitioned the anti-corruption commission to intervene but no action was taken after the probe.

Hijacked by rogues

“The officers grilled some of the illegal beneficiaries and the squatters who were left out, but after going back to Nairobi, no action was seen to have been taken,” said Mugo. “Deserving people from Iruri, Ndathi and Kiandongoro Tucha villages were left out,” added Mugo.

Mr Mugo claimed about 300 people benefited from the land illegally.

“They should make the names public so that should the government identify land, the process will not be hijacked by rogues,” he said.

Former First Lady Lucy Kibaki on one of her visits to Mathira promised the Iruri squatters that they would be among targeted beneficiaries. Each beneficiary got four acres for farming and an extra half-acre to build homes.

When contacted, County Commissioner Michael Mwangi said the county government is committed to resettling colonial squatters living in the area among others.

Mr Gachagua could not be reached for comment; his mobile phone went unanswered, but an official from his office disclosed that he had received the petition.

Nyeri County Chief of Staff Duncan Maina said the government has taken over the cases, and was in the process of constituting the county land board to facilitate resettlement.