Trans Nzoia County Executive Committee Member in charge of Lands Janerose Mutama has fired a warning shot at all lands employees colluding with land grabbers.
She has said that ruthless disciplinary action shall be taken against them.
Speaking at the Kaisagat trading centre during a fact-finding mission on the alleged grabbing of a plot meant for the Water Department, Mutama said some rogue officers have colluded with land grabbers who have made away with pieces of land meant for Public utilities.
“It is very disappointing and heartbreaking that some of our officers are partners in crime with land grabbers and fraudsters. But I assure them that I will deal with them accordingly,” she said.
The CECM further said that her office has received several cases where widows have lost their pieces of land to fraudsters and land grabbers.
“Here in Kwanza, widows are shedding tears because some heartless beasts have grabbed their land leaving them and their dependents landless. We are committed to recovering these pieces of land,” she added.
Fake documents
In addition, the Lands Executive said many widows have lost their lands out of ignorance saying some people who consider themselves smart run to Ministry of Lands offices in Nairobi, fake documents and use them to evict widows who have not paid their land rates.
Mutama, a former secondary school teacher said the fraudsters and grabbers have mastered their art and use courts to stall the process of recovering grabbed public lands.
“No matter how long you run away with illegality using courts, you will one-day surrender grabbed lands to their owners,” she said.
On her part, Kwanza Ward Member of County Assembly Sarah Lubano asked members of the public to exercise due diligence before buying any piece of land.
“So that you don’t fall victim to fraudulent, I am urging you to be extra vigilant and do a thorough search to know the status of the land you are buying,” Lubano cautioned.
She also said land grabbing has affected development projects in the county and called for the speedy recovery of all grabbed pieces of land.
Immediately after he took over power, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya formed a 13-member task force to investigate all grabbed public lands and make recommendations to be implemented by his administration.
This issue of land grabbing in Trans Nzoia is rampant. It is our prayer that it is dealt with completely. Hence it is our prayer that courts should not be part of the syndicate that promotes land grabbing in this County. Let the courts be fair executing their work by ensuring that all the land cases before them concerning the grabbed land are dealt with with speed without fear or favour. Most land grabbers are using courts to frustrate recovery of the grabbed land by influential grabbers in the Court. We as residents want our public land that has been grabbed back for development. This is from Trans Nzoia County Anti Corruption Civilian Oversight Committee desk.