Brokers are to blame for Mombasa land disputes, says Amadoh

Mombasa county lands executive Mohamed “Amadoh” Hussein and rights activists at Tudor Pastoral Centre in Mombasa on Monday / BRIAN OTIENO

Mombasa county lands executive Mohamed “Amadoh” Hussein at Tudor Pastoral Centre in Mombasa on Monday / BRIAN OTIENO

Rights groups and other stakeholders in Mombasa have put County Lands Executive Mohamed 'Amadoh' Hussein to task to explain the recent increased evictions and threats of evictions in the county.

More than 1,000 people have either been evicted, had their houses demolished or face eviction threats across the county.

However, Amadoh said brokers are to blame for the situation saying they sell other people's land without any resistance, which emboldens them.

Haki Yetu Organization executive director Peter Kiama said many residents in slums in the county live in constant fear of eviction and in environments that are not clean.

“We understand in Mombasa county garbage collection is an issue. There are more than 70 illegal dumping sites. This is because there is no proper garbage collection programme in Mombasa,” Kiama said.

Speaking on World Habitat Day, Kiama said Mombasa county should walk the talk and put in place a proper, working garbage collection program that will rid the county of illegal dumping sites and at the same time create job opportunities for youth.

Kiama said eviction of people from their house in the wee hours of the night is an immoral thing, even if some of those evicted may have invaded the lands.

“As recently as Sunday, we have seen armed goons being used to demolish people’s houses at 2am. This matter should come to a stop,” Kiama said.

“These goons are protected by the police.”

The Haki Yetu executive director also criticized the manner in which the Affordable Housing program is being misused.

He said the programme ideally should be used to improve the living standards of those living in slum areas, but instead is being used as a business to enrich a few people who then sell the affordable housing units in the market,” Kiama said.

“An example is the Buxton Point project. We cannot have monies from our pockets go towards building housing units for the rich,” he said.

The Ardhi fund, an initiative of the county government meant to amicably resolve land disputes, should be enhanced, he noted.

However, Amadoh said the county has been at the forefront in defending and protecting those facing eviction threats.

“That is why we came up with the Ardhi Fund. In Kenya the owner of land is the one who has a title deed. If you have a title deed to a piece of land, you are considered the owner of that land,” Amadoh said.

He noted that there are people who build houses on other people’s lands, thus infringing the rights of the land owner.

“Everyone has their rights that must be protected,” he said.

“As a county government, we are here to ensure that all parties get their rights and we become mediators. That is why the Ardhi Fund is there.

“We want to ensure every land dispute is resolved amicably so that all parties are happy,” he said.

He said the Ardhi Fund, which was passed last December, will have some Sh50 million injected into it once the national government releases funds,” he said.

He explained that the national government budget cycle starts in July and that they are still waiting for the disbursement of funds from Treasury to start executing the fund.

The lands executive said the find will be like a revolving fund and that once the county buys off lands from an owner and settles squatters on it, the squatters will have to repay the county in small installments.

The executive said the county will not allow for any lands to be grabbed.

INSTANT ANALYSIS:

The Ardhi Fund will only be used to buy off lands that have no dispute. The Sh50 million that will be invested in the find starting this financial year will be used to buy off lands on a willing buyer, willing seller basis.