Stop land grabbing, says Kisii cleric

Bishop Joseph Mairura of the Kisii Catholic Diocese

A Catholic priest has expressed concern about increasing cases of land grabbing.

Bishop Joseph Mairura of the Kisii Catholic Diocese said it was worrying that cases of institutions losing their land to grabbers were on the increase.

Bishop Mairura, who spoke at St Joseph’s Nyakwerema Secondary School yesterday, said most of the cases involved prominent individuals.

"Grabbing of land meant for learning institutions, churches and even hospitals has become a crisis. I call on those who have snatched public land to surrender it," said the cleric.

“It is not about who you are. Just surrender land you know belongs to a school or any other institution in good faith. We need more amenities, but we lack sufficient land because of the problem of grabbing that has become chronic,” Mairura said.

He added: “Those stealing land are well known, yet nothing is being done to recover the properties or punish them. Let us all join hands in fighting this evil so our children get enough space for learning.

“How do you come to an established school and claim that it sits on land belonging to you? How do you feel when children fail to attend school because you have taken away their institution's land? This is very sad and we must stop it at all costs."