Members of the Tana Hurara farmers association in Tana Delta Sub County, Tana River County have called on the government to take stern action against illegal land cartels operating at Hurara area.
The members drawn mainly from the Kalindi clan of the Pokomo community said that the area had been invaded by cartels and land brokers who were selling the unregistered land to unsuspecting buyers claimin
g that they will help them acquire title deeds.
Led by the chairman of the Kalindi council of elders Mr. Komora Mbatu the farmers said that the land which stretches from the Indian Ocean in Kipini West to Galana Kulalu at the border of Kilifi and Tana River counties was originally community land that belonged to the Kalindi clan since 1977.
“We have been seeking legal ownership of this land for the last 30 years and I am very confident each family will eventually get its share in the near future,” he said.
The Kalindi community registered itself under the Tana Hurara farmers in 1977 and has more than 1,200 families registered as members.
Mbatu added that efforts to wade off the invaders had remained futile despite having made frequent requests to security agencies.
“As chairman of the Kalindi council of elders I will not sit and watch our land being taken away by criminals and I request the security offices led by the Tana Delta Criminal Investigation office to investigate the matter as a matter of agency,” he said.
He said that only by arresting the brokers that the illegal land business in the area will come to an end.
“We have been forced to re brand our association’s logos and stamps because we discovered the criminals were forging receipts and duping people,” he said adding that some unsuspecting clients had been duped millions of shillings and promised thousands of acres of land in the area.
Mbatu also urged the pastoralist Wachu ranch members to work with his community as a way of making the process of adjudication easy.
He added that part of Wachu ranch was inside the land being claimed by Kalindi community.
Another community member Mr. Timson Maneno cautioned those buying land in the area of dire consequences including loss of investments.
“We have several groups here whom we invited to till land but they have turned into illegal land brokers and they are bringing people from Malindi and beyond and selling them land some as large as 2,000 acres, we shall smoke them out and get them arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
