Laboso wants settlers out of tea farms

The county government of Bomet has dispatched a team of surveyors to establish the total acreage of tea farms owned by the white settlers in the area.

Governor Joyce Laboso said the team will ascertain the exact area covered by tea as it plans to join the Kericho county in having the vast farms reverted to Kenyans.

Speaking in Bomet when she met the area MCAs to discuss over the matter, the governor said she was committed to ensuring her people get justice for the wrongs the white settlers committed by forcing them out of their lands.

While lauding his counterpart Paul Chepkwony over the steps he has taken in seeking to compel the British government to the pay damages, Laboso said: “As a government we are together on this because we want our people to get their rights.”

The move by the governor comes in the wake of a declaration by the National Land Commission (NLC) that it would not renew leases for the vast tea farms in Kericho and Bomet.

Unilever, George Williamson, Sotik highlands and James Finlay are the multinationals operating in the two counties.

The firms owns up to 200, 000 hectares of land which initially belonged to the residents.

The Kipsigis and Talai communities are the two communities who were displaced from the lands.

In its decision, the NLC said fresh survey and audit must be carried out for all the farms being owned by the settlers in Kericho and Bomet.

It stated that the lands in be reverted to the counties to hold it in trust for the communities.

Lawyer Kimutai Bosek, who is representing the two counties, said they have explored all options over the matter, expressing optimism that the British government will yield in to their demands.

Bosek they will use alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms in pursuing for compensation over the matter.

“British government must humble itself and agree to pay for the damages…our people suffered greatly; they are now poor after being flushed out of their lands, their houses torched and animals taken away,” said Bosek.

He added: “We were subjected to reserves that is most of our people who chased away are now living in squalid conditions…the coming of Bomet is now a big boost for us on this idea.”