Land grabbers have been put on notice as tarmacking of the Thika Bypass starts.
This follows complaints grabbers have flocked to the region since the announcement of the construction of the Sh1.5 billion road. Prices of land near the bypass have skyrocketed. The grabbers target prime, undeveloped land.
Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina and deputy county commissioner Tom Anjere said a crack down on fraudsters is on and culprits will be arrested.
He spoke on Wednesday during the commissioning of the three kilometre Engen-Kiang’ombe-Athena link road.
Three parcels of land have been grabbed on Kenyatta Highway. This has caused delays in building the road from Booth area to Oloitiptip Road.
maasai group’s land
“They should know the project will go on because that is public land and once we get a hold of them, we will institute a legal suit against them. There will be negotiations,” Wainaina said.
Grabbers have targeted land on which Kiang’ombe squatters and the Maasai Village Women Self-help Group have settled. The land was meant for schools, markets and churches.
“We will work closely with the National Land Commission to flush out these criminals because they are an impediment to growth and development. We will protect what rightfully belongs to Thika people,” Wainaina said.
Anjere said the police will work with locals to arrest grabbers. “Land grabbing is a vice that happens everywhere and that’s why land disputes are on the rise. But we won’t allow it in Thika,” he said.
Kiganjo and Kiang’ombe estates residents have raised concerns about the rising cases of grabbing. Grabbers have forged title deeds and sold land to investors.
Wainaina said, “This region will be opened up and companies will be revived while others will be put up and it’s a good thing for our people since more jobs will be created and our economy will improve.