Shocking statistics indicate 62% of Taita Taveta land occupied by national parks

Three years after devolution came into force, Taita Taveta County is yet to address its many challenges, chief among them land ownership.

Statistics indicate that about 62 per cent of the county land mass is occupied by Tsavo national parks.

This could have been a source of great pride to our county if the proceeds from tourism were injected into county coffers to boost development.

However, Taita Taveta people have little to boast about hosting Tsavo. Human-wildlife conflict has become the norm rather than the exemption, with locals losing their lives and property. On the other hand, thousands of acres of prime land are occupied by sisal farms in Voi, Mwatate and Taveta.

Sisal farming might have some economic potential if undertaken in an environment devoid of endless controversies and land disputes as is the case in Taita Taveta.

Here, confusion still reigns supreme over the lease terms of these vast farms, rendering sisal farming more of an agricultural venture exclusive to rich landowners.

The National Land Commission should establish the lease periods of all sisal farms in Taita Taveta so that if some have expired the land is repossessed.

The same should be extended to the ranches, which despite being meant for livestock keeping, have been converted into mining zones without proper environmental impact assessment studies being conducted.

Towards this end, I urge the Jubilee government to listen to the cries of Taita Taveta people and address some of these thorny land issues. This might probably be the only lasting legacy that Jubilee will leave behind in this county, after other previous governments failed.