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Senior government officials and politicians in the current and previous regimes stand to lose hundreds of acres of land they grabbed in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
The serving and retired officers reportedly used their influence and officers to steal the land in Maella, an area that has recorded bloody land clashes for years.
The information is contained in a report by an ad hoc committee on Ng’ati Farm Alternative Dispute Resolution, which was appointed in October 2018 by Nakuru County Assembly and has been seeking a way forward in resolving disputes around the vast land.
For years, more than 581 individuals from the Maasai and Agikuyu communities have clashed over the sub-division of 16,708 acres in a dispute that has dragged in court for years.
The 2004 case was, however, resolved by the Court of Appeal, which directed that members of the Agikuyu community get 12,131 acres and the Maasai 4,207 acres.
According to the Chief of Staff in Nakuru County Njoroge Gichuhi, investigations have revealed that senior government officers illegally benefited from the land.
Security agents
Speaking after handing over the report, Gichuhi who chaired the committee said the officers had been given a window of opportunity to return the land.
“The report has exposed a lot of underhand deals in the sub-division of land and allocation of title deeds,” he said.
In a move that will raise tension in the troubled area, Gichuhi added that fresh sub-division of over 8,000 acres should be done.
He added that former officials of the Ng’ati land buying company should be investigated by the DCI and property which they acquired from sales of the land repossessed.
On her part, the Chief Officer in charge of land Judyleah Waihenya said the process of fresh sub-division would start in two weeks’ time.
She noted that the issue of the Nakuru-Narok boundary, which neighbours the land in dispute, would also be addressed in the ongoing survey works.
Maella MCA Gathariki Kamanu praised the ad hoc committee for coming up with solutions to the land issue that have for years caused tension and tens of deaths.
Naivasha Sub-County Commissioner Mutua Kisilu said security agents were ready to implement the recommendations.
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