There was double tragedy following the eviction of more than 400
residents who were residing on the disputed Kinyikeu land of at Mowlem
area in Endebess sub county, Trans Nzoia County when the residents lost property and an ECDE child died after he was allegedly shot by police officers.
The more than 40 acres of land has been the centre of a dispute for more than 40 years pitting two families who’ve been embroiled in the dispute, both claiming its ownership. Police had been sent to the area to provide security during the eviction process when the locals allegedly became rowdy and a five-year-old girl, Daisy Chepkemoi was shot in the head. She was rushed to Kitale Level Four hospital but she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Speaking to the press at the deceased’s home, Daisy’s grandfather Nicholas Kibet said it was around 12.30 pm, when the girl was heading home for lunch when the unfortunate incident happened. He has called for justice in the case, noting that she hadn’t done anything wrong.
The land initially had two cases, pitying two families, Jestimoa
Simwenyi’s and Samson Sichangi’s, and an order was granted for property on it to be demolished and the Samson Sichangi’s family was evicted in 2002. However, another case was launched by the Endebess Investment Company which claimed an unfair eviction this year.
The company claims it has an equal share and supposed to settle on the land, which it bought from five people who had earlier acquired the land from Jestimoa Simwenyi, whom the company’s representative never got in touch with at first. However, the narrative goes deeper, as the Company claims Simwenyi duped the court and used the eviction order initially used to evict Samson Sichangi’s family, as aforementioned, to evict them also. Their representatives say they had appealed the order ruling that called for their eviction and the case is set to be mentioned on 26th September.
Furthermore, those residing on the land have vowed they won’t move despite the demolitions, adding that they’ve stayed on the farm land for more than 40 years. “We will not move come rain or sunshine. We are going nowhere, this is our land,” said Gabriel Sichangi, a resident at the farm land.
The women in the farm said they are not ready to leave the area
claiming the demolitions have caused them more harm as children won’t be able to go to school.