Regional commissioner for Riftvalley George Natembeya has given ultimatum of eight hours to those land grabbers who grabbed railway land in Kitale to vacate immediately claiming the government is at its process of reclaiming back its land that was grabbed by several individuals.
The regional commissioner said this after touring Kitale and inspected Railway land that was grabbed by individuals who have erected several structures within the town, noting that the government land has been used by individuals for long and it was time for the Government to reclaim back its land.
The 159 acres of land belonging to railway land was grabbed by among business individuals mostly Asians, Transport sectors that opened offices for various matatu operators offices and buses, as well as individuals who erected structures and have been leasing to other businessmen. Natembeya has told those individuals in the land to vacate immediately, claiming today at 9pm all structures will be demolished paving way for cleanup of the place tomorrow while calling upon the county Government to work together with the Government in ensuring the area is clean after being repossessed.
He disclosed that grabbers of the said land were given notices of vacating the land in 2019 and since then they didn’t heed to the notice as they continued residing in the area stating it’s now time for the Government to act by demolishing structures that were put up by the grabbers which was illegal.
On his part the chamber for commerce and industry Trans Nzoia county Martin Waliaula has blamed the land lords who erected structures and leased to some businessmen for failure to advice their tenants on how to leave the land despite getting notices from the Kenya railways. He has vowed to push the land lords compensate their tenants who have been told to leave the land claiming since they were compensated by the Government, they owe tenants their cash as they have been adversely affected by demolitions.
He however appealed to NLC to intervene and clear the land registrars adding that there was corruption in the land ministry where individuals are given title deeds for government lands. “How can an individual own over 30acres of land in Kitale town… just one individual?…useless,” claimed Waliaula.