Panic in Kihiu Mwiri as residents face eviction

Shareholders of the Kihiu Mwiri land-buying company are threatening to eject individuals occupying parcels of land registered in their names over discrepancies in their title deeds.

Three weeks ago, residents met at Kihiu Mwiri market where they recounted facing threats and asked the government to intervene to save them from impending eviction.

Controversy surrounding the company has not been resolved in the last nine years.

At the height of the murder of the company directors, the government established a truthing committee in 2015 charged with streamlining the allocation of 1,285 acres of land that had double allocation, among other irregularities.

The Saturday Standard has learned that landowners are now threatening those residing in lands registered in their names to leave.

Another concern is that majority of the persons with title deeds lack ballot papers and share certificates.

Kakuzi/Mitumbiri MCA Steven Muigai said the double allocation has been a major challenge and would require an updated land map.

Muigai said Murang'a leaders want the subdivision map by the Survey of Kenya to correct the anomalies.

"Several meetings have been held with the locals seeking government intervention to end the challenges they are facing," said the MCA.

Interestingly, land occupied by Mt Olive Primary School is now registered under Mary Nyambura Muiruri and a title deed has been issued.

The move could see the school with a population of 496 forced to relocate elsewhere.

Areas earmarked for public utilities, among them Kihiu Mwiri Police Post, have also been allocated to individuals, save for land earmarked for public cemeteries.

Pastor John Gitau of the Fountain Gate Church said seven churches have been affected by the latest move. One is Holy Spirit Church of East Africa, which is required to be moved to Shauri village.

"What happened here is worse as our churches in Kihiu Mwiri market will have to be relocated elsewhere because another person has been allocated the land," he said.

Jane Ngori, a resident said the shareholders' pain may not end soon because Murang'a Lands Registry has referred their concerns to the Survey of Kenya headquarters in Nairobi.

Joseph Thiong'o a director at the company said he is facing a major threat after learning that his land is registered under in someone else's name.

"This is one of the problems that the government created after it messed up the settlement programme that the company leadership had proposed," said Thiong'o.

Thiong'o stressed that the truthing committee abandoned its work halfway and thus needed to return and accomplish it to resolve challenges on the issuance of documents.

Gatanga MP Edward Muriu said Kihiu Mwiri farm trouble is looming and there is a need for elaborate measures to arrest the situation, as people are occupying lands not registered in their names.

"Bring back the planners and surveyors to work on the issues and have their titles ready," said Muriu as he pleaded with the government to avert the mess in Kihiu Mwiri.