By: Johnston Keti
Date: March 28th 2016
Source: AllAfrica.com / Daily Nation
Residents of Kirimon in Samburu Central Sub-County have demonstrated over what they say is illegal grabbing of 10,000 acres of public land meant to benefit their community.
The angry residents accused the Samburu County government of taking too long to handover Kelele holding ground land to the Kirimon group ranch after approval by the defunct county council.
"We petitioned the government through a letter dated December 15, 2014 but apparently the issues we raised were not addressed.
"What surprises us is that it has taken them too long to respond," Mr Zakayo Lelesara, one of the residents, said.
Samburu Central Deputy County Commissioner Charles Igiha said the land had been set aside by the government in the past years for livestock keeping during vaccination before the animals are driven to other areas in a project that eventually failed.
The residents also called for the dissolution of the Kirimon group ranch management committee saying it was not managing the group ranch in the interests of their community.
DEMANDED REPRESENTATION
The protestors, who were mainly youthful, demanded to be represented in the Kirimon group ranch management committee by their peers upon dissolution of the current one.
Mr Lelesara said some of the committee members managing resources in the community land had since died thus the need for their replacement with young leaders.
"The community feels in their own wisdom that the current committee needs to vacate office because of alleged malpractices in terms of corruption and employment," he said.
Samburu County Director for land, Surveying and Mapping, Simon Letambul, said the 10,000 acres of land at the centre of the conflict are currently occupied by approximately 2,000 squatters.
Mr Letambul and Mr Igiha calmed residents in a meeting held in the village urging them to remain peaceful saying the government was already addressing their issues.
Mr Letambul said there was a possibility that the land would be given back to the community through Kirimon group ranch after a petition has been written to his office.
"Write a petition to my office. I will then forward it to the county's cabinet, then county assembly for approval and then [it will come] back to me for implementation," he urged.
Mr Letambul said the squatters who are living in the land and the members of Kirimon group ranch who have fenced off plots on more than five acres will have to surrender the land to the community after the process.
The angry residents forcefully pulled down fences and grazed their cattle in homesteads of people they accused of having grabbed huge tracts of land meant to benefit their community.
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