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Kilifi residents criticise NLC for slow response to historical land injustices

Kilifi County residents follow proceedings during a meeting on land issues at the Roka Maweni Village in Kilifi North Constituency on April 30, 2024. (Photo: Farhiya Hussein)

By Farhiya Hussein | 30 Apr 2024

They are concerned that genuine occupants are losing ancestral land due to opaque lease transactions.

Residents of Roka Maweni Village in Kilifi North Constituency have criticised the National Land Commission (NLC) for its slow response to historical land injustices despite the constitution's enactment in 2010.

At a meeting to discuss the issues on Tuesday, they said they were concerned that genuine occupants were losing ancestral land due to opaque lease transactions.

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Led by one Deche Gogo, they said that historical injustices will persist for as long as the issue is not addressed.

Gogo pointed out that this trend goes against the fundamental constitutional goals of rectifying past injustices and ensuring equal land access for all Kenyans.

“The commission's ineffectiveness in addressing land issues in the coastal region is worrying,” he said, noting that no action has been taken yet they have sent several complaint letters.

Gogo urged immediate steps to address the purported unfairness and uphold the rights of the impacted groups.

Former Timboni village elder Francis Yongo appealed for government intervention to tackle these injustices, emphasising the need for a thorough land policy that recognises both historical and current land expropriation.

"The government and land rights advocates should devise land policies that address both past and present injustices," he said.

Yongo further said that the allocation documents from 2002 and 2007 were riddled with mistakes and that their efforts to have them corrected have been futile.

"The allotment letters issued in 2002 contained numerous errors. Many mutations were made without residents' knowledge. Some allottees were placed incorrectly and others didn't receive their letters," he explained.

"In 2007, more flawed letters were issued, and some were withheld for nine years. In 2015, we raised the issue, leading the NLC to send a task force led by former vice chair Abigail Mbagaya to collect ground reports. The report remains in their offices."

He said such an injustice should not have occurred with the government overseeing the process.

George Mbwana, a resident, called on the government to invalidate counterfeit land titles and provide authentic ones to the rightful owners in Kilifi. He expressed concern over mounting land injustices, warning that if the matter remains unresolved, residents may resort to vigilantism out of frustration.

"We're exhausted from urging calm while intruders continuously arrive, asserting ownership of land that isn't theirs. These land grabbers often have local administrators in tow, are fully informed of the situation, and are supported by police officers providing protection," Mbwana said.

He added that residents end up squatting on their ancestral land despite the government's promises to undo the injustices.