The Makueni County Government will repossess the disputed Mikululo ranch at the border with Kajiado, Governor Kivutha Kibwana has said.
This is intended to stop inter-communal conflict over pasture in which four people have died and others injured.
Kibwana said the conflict is also fuelled by cartels who have been illegally subdividing the land and selling to unsuspecting buyers.
“Mikululo ranch is communal land. We will liaise with the National Land Commission for its repossession. Whoever bought a piece of land there should know that the money is lost,” the governor told the Star.
In February last year, the Environment and Lands court in Machakos ruled that Makueni residents were the owners of the 73,000-hectare (180,310 acres) land.
Judge Oscar Angote ruled in favour of the Makueni County Government and permanently restrained the Kenya Wildlife Service from evicting Mikululo Ranching Company Limited and its members, families and other agents from the massive property.
The land, which borders Chyullu National Park has since the ruling attracted the interest of influential people among them senior Ukambani politicians.
Kibwana also called on the neighbouring Kajiado leadership to restrain herders from entering the land.
“Makueni residents are peaceful. We don’t want our people to be butchered like animals and so we call upon Kajiado leadership to tell their people to respect the court decision,” he said.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr echoed the governor's views and asked those not satisfied with the ruling to appeal instead of using force to claim the land.
He welcomed the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the government a week ago, saying it should continue until those behind the conflict are arrested and prosecuted.
“The people of Makueni have suffered for no reason. The perpetrators should be treated as criminals and murderers,” the senator said.
County commissioner Mohammed Maalim, who announced the curfew on Monday, warned that those who flouted the 6pm to 6am lockdown will be treated as criminals.
The General Service Unit, Rapid Deployment Unit and Administration Police officers are enforcing the curfew on the Makueni-Kajiado border after the four people were killed on two consecutive nights the previous weekend.
The violence was precipitated by attacks - allegedly by Maasai youths - on Kamba homesteads over grazing land.
This prompted a crisis meeting chaired by Maalim and attended by his Kajiado counterpart Joshua Nkanatha, local leaders and some residents.
“From 6pm today [Monday] I expect all of you to be in your houses. Police will carry out an operation in the area and if you violate the curfew, you will be taken in as a suspect," Maalim warned.
He said a 20-member peace committee formed last year following similar attacks and which has been moribund would be revived.
- mwaniki fm
