The land wrangles in Malindi, Kilifi County continued to dodge the lives of the residents with the latest incident being a demonstration by residents of Mbogolo who were protesting against an eviction threat from a tycoon.
The residents held a peaceful demonstration claiming that a wealthy person was about to evict them from their 70-acre parcel of land.
Singing songs of justice and carrying placards and twigs, the locals said the tycoon hired surveyors and begun placing beacons in the land without their knowledge forcing them to resist as they have lived there for decades.
One of the residents, Mzee Lawrence Nyambu who is a village elder aged 71 years said he used to work for the late Bujra, a man whose son was now terrorizing them with plans to evict them in the land.
“I worked with the tycoon’s father and was being paid Sh15 those days. So, we know the boundaries of the land and this area does not belong to the family it used to be for our fathers and grandfathers who were buried here,’’ he said.
He wondered why the tycoon was now bringing surveyors without engaging the village elders, assistant chief or chiefs to mark boundaries.
Mzee Nyambu called on the government to intervene and stop their eviction since they are currently living in fear.
The elder said he already recorded a statement with the police about what transpired in the area when the surveyors were chased.
Another resident, Albert Ngule told journalists that they have been living peacefully for many years until the tycoon begun to fence even in their own area where they reside.
He said it was strange that Bujra’s son claims ownership of the whole parcel of land in Mbogolo which has over 500 households.
“As residents we shall not leave this place because it’s our home and we shall not allow the tycoon to evict us, we urge the government to intervene,” he said.
He said Mbogolo residents are suffering because of tycoons who want to evict them forcefully despite the fact that they have lived there for over 100 years.
According to another resident Nema Kahindi, they saw three days ago surveyors putting beacons and when youth inquired, they were told it would not affect them.
However, she said the local youth did not believe and chased the surveyors away which has led to threats ever since.
“Now we are receiving summon letters from the police we are now living in fear of being evicted we want the government to intervene so that they can leave peacefully,” she said.
Ms Kahindi said the government could buy off the land and settle them if the owner wants to sell it as they have no other place to go.
Mr Francis Rimba a representative of Ganda MCA Reuben Katana said they are going to fight legally to ensure the residents are not evicted from the land.
He said they cannot allow over 500 families who have lived there for many years to be evicted as there is no other place, they can call home.
“We want the residents to get justice from today going forward we shall stand in solidarity with them to ensure they are not evicted from the land,” he said.
This incident adds to the many land problems that have defined the Coast region for decades with amicably solutions seemingly not near in sight.
Just two weeks ago over 15 houses were demolished after squatters allegedly built on a land belonging to the Bakshuen Family in Malindi.
