• Members of the ADC board said the grabbers are subdividing the land without their approval as custodians.
• The board, led by vice chairperson Lydia Ntimama is on a familiarisation tour of the ADC properties at the Coast.
Powerful persons who claim to be highly connected in the government have grabbed part of the 1.8 million-acre Galana Kulalu land, Agricultural Development Corporation has said.
Powerful persons who claim to be highly connected in the government have grabbed part of the 1.8 million-acre Galana Kulalu land, Agricultural Development Corporation has said.
Members of the ADC board said the grabbers are subdividing the land without their approval as custodians.
The board, led by vice chairperson Lydia Ntimama, is on a familiarisation tour of the ADC properties at the Coast.
Ntimama said they have established illegal takeovers of their assets in different parts of the country.
The board told tycoons and top government officials who have grabbed their land to vacate or they will be evicted.
“What we have found out is that the ADC land is being challenged; there is a lot of theft that happened in the previous years and there are current squatters who are trying to invade our lands including illegal herders who come into our land to graze what we're protecting for our own cows,” Ntimama said.
Speaking after touring the ADC Top farm in Sabaki area of Magarini constituency, Ntimama said those who invaded their lands also forged ownership documents.
Ntimama said ADC has the mandate to provide food security in the country and called on all those who took public land to get ready to step out.
She said they will not be cowed by threats from sitting MPs and senators who think it's their right to kick ADC out of the land so that their people can claim it.
She said they will go back to discuss the issues at a higher level and ensure that the invasions are stopped.
Ntimama said those who were allocated land and title deeds in ADC lands such as Kisiwni complex and Top farm in Magarini must surrender them.
“We as a government are saying that our land must be returned; all ADC land grabbed must be surrendered so that we can provide food security to the country.”
Image: ALPHONCE GARI
She said in ADC Kisiwni 900 acres were reclaimed from squatters only to be allocated to top government officials.
“We're telling the top government officials to surrender the land as it is government property belonging to the people,” she said.
Other areas with similar problems include Endavivi, Naivasha where ADC had 42,000 acres but lost 39,000 acres.
Stephen Kinuthia, a director, said the special board was appointed by the president and has goodwill from them so they will not entertain any politician who will lead people to invade private land.
He said there are other individuals who lease ADC land and refuse to leave after the expiry which has contributed to many problems in ADC lands.
Kinuthia said they're now seeking assistance from the government to be given security so s to deal with anyone who invades their assets.
''How come the ones we're told are squatters, weak are being evicted in one day but the big fish with ten acres, 30 acres and above are not touched,'' he said.