Isahakia community in Naivasha vows to contest eviction order

NAKURU COUNTY: Members of the Isahakia community have vowed to contest a decision by the High Court to kick them out of a disputed land in Naivasha.

The community, which was among the first people to arrive in Naivasha in the early 1800s termed the court ruling as an injustice.

On Wednesday, the High Court in Nakuru issued a 30-day notice to the community to vacate the land that has been under dispute for years.

High Court judge Lucy Waithaka directed police in Naivasha to enforce the order and ordered the community to seek alternative land.

But addressing the Press Thursday, the community's Chairman Ali Farah alleged continued harassment by Government agencies.

The management of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Karlo) on its part welcomed the court directive, adding that they would move to occupy the land once the 30-day period elapses.

A director with the organisation, Titus Lanyasunya, said plans were on to reclaim other parcels of land that had been grabbed around Naivasha.

"We are happy with the court's decision and we shall not rest until other parcels of grabbed land are reclaimed," he said.

Karlo moved to court in 2011 contesting the forcible acquisition of the land, located a few kilometres from Naivasha town, by the Isahakia community.

The organisation noted that research in the farm had been affected by the forcible settlement.

Mr Farah hit out at Karlo for alleging that the disputed land was meant for livestock research.

OWNERSHIP DOCUMENTS

"When we came in, the land had been leased to a flower farm for years and we are wondering which research work they are talking about," he said.

Farah said the community is in possession of an allotment letter and challenged Karlo to produce ownership documents, if they had any.

He termed the court's decision as a 'death sentence' against the community, which knows no other home.

"We respect the court's decision but we don't know where to go as this is our home and we have invested a lot in farming," he said.

Justice Waithaka directed the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate the goings-on in the research farm, saying some senior managers were benefiting from its resources.

"Sections of the land have for years been leased to private investors and the Government should investigate who the beneficiaries are," she said.