Land wrangles behind Ang'ata Barikoi violence, PS Nixon Korir tells MPs
He said the land was officially registered under the Ang'ata Barikoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society on September 18, 1996. However, the society has never occupied the land since its registration nearly three decades ago.
Principal Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Nixon Korir, has told Members of Parliament that land-related disputes are the leading cause of insecurity in the country, citing the recent unrest in Ang'ata Barikoi as a key example.
Speaking during a session with the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security, chaired by Gabriel Tongoyo (Narok West) on Thursday, Korir was responding to concerns over violent clashes linked to a disputed parcel of land in the area.
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He revealed that the contested land is officially known as Parcel No. Transmara/Moyoi/2 and is commonly referred to as Kailolong.
According to the PS, the land measures approximately 2,561.44 hectares and borders the Ang'ata Barikoi Registration Section (Kipsigis), the Republic of Tanzania, and Kuria East Constituency in Migori County (Gwitembe).
He said the land was officially registered under the Ang'ata Barikoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society on September 18, 1996. However, the society has never occupied the land since its registration nearly three decades ago.
“Instead, the cooperative informally leased the land to members of neighbouring communities, specifically, the Kipsigis from Ang'ata Barikoi and the Kuria from Gwitembe in Kuria East, for cultivation. Neither group resides on the land, but clashes tend to erupt during the planting season over access and use.”
The PS told the committee that the Ministry has already set up a multi-agency task force to deal with such cases of land fraud and prevent the recurrence of similar conflicts.
He urged both communities to take steps to formalise the leasing arrangements and register them with the Land Registrar in Kilgoris as a way of avoiding future disputes over the land.
MPs in the committee pressed the PS for clarification on whether any individual title deeds had been issued to residents of the communities currently in conflict.
In response, PS Korir said there are no official individual ownership documents issued by the Ministry and maintained that the registered owner remains the Ang'ata Barikoi Farmers’ Cooperative Society.
“The titles allegedly held by some residents did not originate from the Ministry and are therefore not recognised,” he asserted.
While explaining the Ministry’s role in handling the administrative aspects of the issue, Korir was clear that the deeper cause of the dispute goes beyond paperwork.
He said political influence and tensions are at the heart of the conflict and called on leaders from the affected areas to step in and lead peace efforts.
Korir said the Ministry can only do so much and urged political leaders to take charge of community engagement, dialogue, and reconciliation to ensure lasting stability in the region.
The committee resolved to engage the National Land Commission to carry out a thorough investigation and compile a comprehensive report, which will be tabled before Parliament.
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