Who Grabbed this Public Land?

cattle dip

 Around six pieces of public land measuring 0.9 each in acreage, or a combined total of 5.4 acres of Wanyororo shares in Amua village were grabbed long ago and sold to unsuspecting public by faceless but well connected individuals and no doubt a cartel. This is not the first land grab reported in the larger Dundori ward, as various pieces earmarked as public land have changed hands mysteriously. A look at the way boundaries have shifted like in the cemetery, or the way the dams have embankments farmed to the waterline, or part of their land shrunken, grabbed and fenced off, amongst other places, is a vindication of our leaders complicity to this entrenched malfeasance (anyway, those entrusted as custodians of our public resources are sell-outs leaders!).

Part of cattle dip

  Part of Amua land holds a cattle dip which is in total disuse. Though the then councillor, Julius Kamotho, did a commendable job restoring it during his tenure, no one, it seems, can recall when the last of livestock took a swim into the treatment liquid. Even if the said cattle dip is in use, where is a livestock holding area? Witness the fenced off thoroughfare to conduct the livestock all the way to the channel. Your first impression is that one is driving livestock to an individual’s home (and trespassing in the process). 

A farmed part in Amua

  It is a matter of time before the cattle dip disappears altogether. With the logic that most of the small scale farmers to the proximity of the dip practises mixed farming and prefers zero-grazing units and would be comfortable hand spraying their livestock, what use will this dip serve in the long term? Already, part of the contentious land had been parcelled out and resold with construction works abuzz where secondary buyers are putting up houses.

  5.4 acres is by no means little to host facilities for public use. If, for instance, a public hospital is put up at the place, it would ease the access to a health facility for majority of residents and cut the time it takes to reach health centers like Kiwamu and Dundori. By the way, what happened to the Catholic run Hekima Mobile Clinic that used to operate every Thursday ages ago? And speaking of the Catholic church, can the church explain how part of public land where a kindergarten once stood changed hands with the eventual fencing off of the said land?

  By the way, is there any public land for recreational activities? Other than using school playgrounds, where do children play or youths train at for their unstructured village league matches? 

  That we have such bold land grabbers is not contestable. It seems getting a piece of whatever acreage as a financial statement has become the norm. Shockingly, majority do not exercise due diligence like searching with lands office on status of such land (if public or private), but will buy anyway, so long as the sellers or brokers are trustworthy persons! 

  The problem with victims of syndicated land cons is they do not know they are victims. And this is what will see dragging court cases should the authorities of the day try to enforce evictions.