A Mombasa court has stopped the Isanga Iwishi Group Ranch from evicting Maktau residents from a land under tussle in Mwatate,Taita Taveta county.
Judge Charles Yano of the Environment and Land Court said residents should be allowed to live in the contested ranch until the case is heard and determined. The inter-parties hearing is set for March 17.
“The ranch group is hereby restrained from evicting communities living and occupying the land,” the order read in part.
The court further issued a temporary injunction restraining the group ranch from subdivision of the land, selling, leasing or transferring the land to other users.
The Taita Taveta county government moved to court on Thursday to protest the eviction after details emerged that the ranch group was preparing to kick out the more than 5,000 families.
An affidavit sworn by the county secretary Liverson Mghendi seen by the Star showed the group ranch had already subdivided the over 6,900 hectares into two pieces. They had already entered into agreement to sell out 404.7 hectares thus necessitating the eviction.
Nominated MCA Chritopher Mwamingu on Wednesday sought a statement from the Lands and Housing committee on the land ownership dispute, pointing out that the residents had lived on the land for decades.
“It is sad to further note that there have been deliberate attempts by the group ranch in cohorts with the National Government administration to evict the people of Mwakitau from their rightful ancestral land,” Mwamingu said.
The MCA questioned the circumstances under which government officials signed the consent for the subdivision of the land and further disposal without public participation.
