Youth leaders and civil society groups in Mombasa have condemned the continued forceful occupation of public and private land by what they term as ‘professional and

Perennial squatters’ in the region. They said large number of people occupying private land has become a serious concern in coastal county and asked the government to address the matter that threatens to cripple economic activities. Speaking at a press conference they condemned the emerging trend of private land invasions by people who have tuned the issue of landlessness into a ‘commercial venture’. They said in past few years hundreds of people calling themselves as squatters have been invading several pieces of private land under the guise of expiry of leases and ancestral lands rights. Led by Emmanuel Chengo a human right activist, they said the trend threatens the peace and violating the rights of others to own property.