Justice remains elusive for 54 Lamu families still seeking land compensation 10 years on

Families that gave out their ancestral land for the establishment of the Lamu County headquarters at Mokowe, are yet to get compensation more than 10 years later.

The 54 families are demanding their payout for the land they gave out for the construction of the Sh284 million headquarters, the Sh214 million Lamu County Assembly buildings and the county lands offices among other premises by the devolved government.

Several national government offices, including the Lamu County Commissioner’s office and the registrar of person offices, are also housed within the land in question.

The affected persons blamed the county government for politicising and complicating the matter despite having been directed by the National Lands Commission (NLC) to compensate them several years ago.

In 2018, NLC officials led by former chair Muhammed Swazuri toured Lamu and carried out identification and verification exercises before approving the 54 individuals for immediate compensation.

The commission approved and proposed both monetary and alternative land compensation for all the approved individuals.

The Lamu County Commissioner's office at Mokowe. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

The land agency also directed the county government of Lamu to undertake compensation for the affected persons. However, since then, nothing has been implemented.

Said Salim, a victim and community activist at Mokowe, expressed disappointment over the continued delay that has seen over 10 beneficiaries dying without receiving their compensation.

Poverty

Salim noted that other displaced individuals are leading a life of poverty after their ancestral lands were taken to house the county and national government offices at Mokowe.

“As affected individuals, we have the right to be compensated. We sacrificed our plots for the development of the county headquarters with the promise that we would be paid immediately. It’s unfortunate that over 10 years down the line, no compensation has been made,” said Salim.

“NLC did its part. It is only the county government that is delaying our pay. We call on the government to leave politics aside and ensure we are speedily compensated.”

Another land-affected person, Shali Mohamed Vavo, said they have on various occasions visited the relevant offices in pursuit of their compensation without success.

The Lamu County Assembly at Mokowe. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

Vavo said despite the Lamu County Assembly’s intervention to compel the devolved government to release the cash, nothing has materialised.

In October 2020, the Lamu MCAs unanimously passed a motion compelling the county lands department to compensate the owners of land acquired for the establishment of the county headquarters.

The motion had been tabled by the then Majority Leader, Abdallah Baabad.

“We visited all the concerned offices. We even presented a petition to the Lamu County Assembly to push for our pay. The assembly went ahead to approve the petition, through a motion that was passed in 2020, agitating for our immediate compensation but still, the silence continues on the part of the county government. They should do something urgently,” said Vavo.

Amina Mohamed questioned why the national and county governments have turned a deaf ear to the matter despite numerous attempts by the landowners to seek compensation.

“Do they want us to die so that they stay with the cash? Our forefathers have already died without a penny after years of waiting for compensation. Justice must prevail,” said Mohamed.

Omar Sharif expressed suspicion that the ongoing delay is intentional and meant to deny them the right to compensation.