http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=60094
Ukambani residents invade private property
Written By:Rose Kamau/KNA , Posted: Sun, Sep 27, 2009
Thousands of people from the Ukambani region including women with children strapped on their backs spent the night in the cold after their efforts to invade and sub divide a piece of land belonging to the East African Portland Company (EAPC) failed.
The people from all corners of Ukambani had Saturday invaded the land on the outskirts of Athi River town amid reports that they were to be allocated pieces of land by their leaders.
The invaders who had arrived aboard buses were equipped with cutting and tilling tools ready to mark, fence and till their portions of land ready for planting.
However, their attempts were thwarted by a contingent of both regular and administration police officer led by Machakos OCPD Hassan Barua.
Police had to shoot in the air and lob tear gas canisters at the charged crowd that was eventually forced back to a patch of land on the roadside where they stayed till nightfall under strict police guard.
The irate invaders claimed they been issued with receipts by an organization named Nguli ya Mukamba (Mkamba's trumpet) upon payment of a Ksh 150 registration fee.
They claimed the 70 acre piece of land had been bought by the organisation which had asked them to assemble so that they could be allocated pieces of land.
Attempts by leaders who included water minister Charity Ngilu and assistant minister for agriculture Gideon Ndambuki to pacify the crowd proved futile.
Squatters
Area MP Wavinya Ndeti said she had no clue on the issue and could not understand how the people had converged in her constituency without informing her.
"This land belongs to the East African Portland Company. My constituency has squatters and if there were plans for any settlement on this land then my people would come first," said the angry MP amid heckling from the crowd.
She said she had already written to the EAPC asking to be allocated 16,000 acres of land to settle Kathiani squatters in the area and was still waiting for their response.
Her promise to take up the issue with higher authorities was also rebuffed forcing her to leave in a huff.
However, the leaders said there was need to follow up the matter through the established administrative channels to find out if the people had been duped.
Unconfirmed reports said the invasion was triggered by allegations that Internally Displaced Persons from Rift Valley would be settled in the area.
Last week President Kibaki ordered all IDP camps in the country closed and the people settled elsewhere.