Muhuri calls for land audit in Lamu

 @Yobramos4      

Muslims for Human Rights has called for a land audit in Lamu, saying the factor of production is the sole cause of unrest and security challenges in the county.

Muhuri director Khelef Khalifa on Thursday said Lamu natives feel threatened by the influx of non-natives whom they say have taken over almost everything in the county.

“A thorough land audit is needed in Lamu. That is the most important thing. It cannot be that people come from outside the county armed with title deeds yet the locals do not have the titles to their lands,” Khalifa told the Star on the phone.

His sentiments come a day after Pamoja African Alliance party officials warned political leaders against politicising the Lamu security challenges.

Speaking in Mombasa on Wednesday, PAA officials led by national chairman Ibrahim “Babangida” Khamis accused some national political leaders of using the security challenges to seek political mileage at the expense of peace and security in Lamu.

“The Lamu insecurity has been turned into a political problem. The other day some leaders in two political parties said there is persecution of certain people," Babangida posed.

“But if you look at the insecurity challenges in Lamu, does it pick on any particular community, colour, race, ethnicity or religion really?” 

He cited the example of former Public Works PS Mariam el Maawy, a Lamu native, who was kidnapped by al Shabaab militants in July 2017 and sustained serious injuries in the ensuing rescue attempt, where at least seven people, including the PS’ nephew and other security officers, were killed.

She died days later in South Africa where she had been flown for further treatment.

“So let us not bring politics in the Lamu insecurity. The President is working hard to ensure the county is safe for investment and the utterances by some of the leaders in this country are detrimental,” Babangida said.

The PAA chairman said President William Ruto has taken a bold move and made key changes in the security structure of Lamu which has brought confidence to the people of the county.

He said it is because of these key changes in the security structures that have made some political leaders feel uneasy because their interests are in jeopardy.

Khalifa said devolution is about the economic and political interests of locals in the devolved units.

“Politics is about local interests. Local interests are about the local communities, which have distinct territorial, cultural and social units enclosed within their territories,” the Muhuri director said.

He said Lamu is a marginalised area with a relatively small population but has seen an influx of other communities.

“That is why we are calling for a land audit to determine how titles were issued and under whose authority,” Khalifa said.

PAA called for fairness in the administration of justice, law and order, urging Interior CS Kithure Kindiki not to be influenced by politicians in Nairobi in summoning leaders to explain their utterances.

The party officials argued that while some leaders outside the Coast region made some remarks about Lamu which triggered a response from residents, it is only locals who have been summoned to record statements. The officials included party deputy leader Hassan Albeity, Tana River county chairperson Hassan Morowa and former Mwatate MP Calistus Mwatela.

The locals, including Omar Shariff, Mohammed Mbwana, Feswal Mohamed and Abubakar Ahmed, have been summoned to the regional DCI offices in Mombasa on Thursday.

The four were earlier scheduled to appear before the DCI Lamu Central offices on December 14 but that was changed to Mombasa.

“The earlier summons directing you to appear at DCI Lamu Central is hereby rescinded and you are further directed to appear at regional offices Mombasa on December 14, 2023, at 0900hrs without fail,” the summons from the DCI signed by Lamu Central’s Charles Macharia, read.