• Two people Shot in last eviction, including 10-year-old.
• Eviction orders to be scrutinised.
Kilifi county leaders have condemned what they call rampant evictions of residents from their ancestral land.
Led by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, the leaders faulted the county security team for executing court eviction orders without involving the local leadership.
Speaking on Madaraka Day at Karisa Maitha grounds in Kilifi on Saturday, Kingi condemned the police for wounding two people during the latest eviction at Kijiji village in Mtwapa.
One of those shot is a 10-year-old boy.
“You [police] should engage us so that together we can interrogate the eviction orders because some people fake these documents. The people to be affected also need to be served with the orders,” Kingi said.
He said evictions are a burden to the county.
“When you demolish houses then I have to look for money to get food and tents for the affected. This money could have been used or development projects but because of such emergencies we have to look for the welfare of the affected people,” he said.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya raised concern that the evictions are only rampant at the Coast, mostly Kilifi county, saying "the government should stop perpetuating injustices against the Coast people."
“These atrocities meted out on our people must end. Only in Kilifi do non-locals kick out locals from their land with government help. Many people come with titles, go to our chiefs and ask to be shown their lands. How possible is it you do not know where your land is?" Baya asked.
"This is a fraud and the land in Kilifi belongs to residents. Before people are evicted you should investigate how they got the land."
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo said he will sue the government for using excessive force against unarmed people.
He faulted the police for using live bullets during evictions.
“We will not accept this. We are losing people to police who provide security during evictions."
Police were trained and armed using taxpayers’ money and then they use the same arms to kill the taxpayer instead of protecting them and their property, Madzayo said.
He said the attorney general should explain "why the police are using live bullets and killing our people."
Madzayo accused the police of being used by tycoons to victimise the poor.
“Kilifi police have ceased to be ‘Utumishi Kwa Wote’ and are now serving the rich. They have the audacity to arrest leaders who inquire about demolitions. Officers receive money to evict people and when they see us, they run away," he added.
County commissioner Magu Mutindika pledged that any eviction order will be scrutinised by the security team and the county attorney to ascertain authenticity before being executed.
“After the Mtwapa demolitions, we met the governor and agreed to work together to avert human suffering. We must sit together and see how best we can end these things. I promise you, from now on you will not see such demolitions,” Mutindika said.
He blamed the National Land Commission for failing to scrutinise title deeds for controversial parcels.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)