By Cheti Praxides
@ppcheti
At least 40 families from the Orma and Somali pastoralist communities in Mnazi Mmoja, Lamu Island, want the county government to resettle them for fear of eviction by tycoons.
They have lived as squatters on private lands for more than 20 years.
They said the owners are planning to develop the lands, and that they might be evicted at any time.
The squatters said they have been threatened by goons suspected to have been sent by tycoons claiming ownership of the land.
Speaking in the village on Monday, the pastoralists appealed to the county government to resettle them on "idle parcels" in the region to enable them to carry on with their lives.
They are also seeking to be issued with title deeds of the land they will be resettled in to keep grabbers at bay.
Community elder Noor Waladi, 82, accused the county government of segregating the community on land ownership matters.
He said that despite having lived in Lamu for decades, many pastoral families have not been recognised as residents.
“I'm 82 but have lived here for more than 20 years. The land we live on does not belong to us. Our efforts to get allocated land have been unsuccessful. We appeal to the county government to resettle us," Waladi said.
"We don’t need much, just a place to put up homes. We know there is so much idle land.”
Elder Said Farasi accused the county government of segregating against them in the ongoing plans to resettle squatters.
He said they are treated like outsiders. “We need to be recognised as Lamu residents and Kenyans,” Farasi said.
