•The parliamentary department committee on administration and national security conducted a public hearing over the evictions of Ndunguini residents in Embu.
•It was attended by committee chairman Peter Mwathi, Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King’ang’i, nominated MP Cecily Mbarire, MCA Phillip Nzangi among others.
MPs want compensation for more than 3,000 residents of Mbeere South who were evicted from land owned by the Tana and Athi River Development Authority in April.
This comes after the parliamentary department committee on administration and national security conducted a public hearing over the evictions of Ndunguini residents in Embu.
Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King’ang’i had filed a petition in the National Assembly over how the evictions were conducted.
The public hearing took place in Kiritiri on Monday.
It was attended by committee chairman Peter Mwathi, Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King’ang’i, nominated MP Cecily Mbarire, MCA Phillip Nzangi among others.
Mwathi said the committee is driven by the urge to serve justice to all Kenyans despite their status.
“We have to ensure everyone gets justice. Being the chairman does not mean oppressing someone,” he said.
The leaders supported the residents who still believe the land claimed by Tarda is their original land.
Mbeere South MP said the land has been the property of Mbeere people since independence and evicting them should be accompanied by compensation.
“This is a program of Mbeere South residents, they used to graze there,” he said.
On her part, Mbarire said that some notable investors are interested in acquiring the land and hence stimulated the eviction.
“We know there are some agreements that have been signed between Tarda and some individuals who are investors well connected with the government,” she said.
“These investors cannot be more important than the people of Mbeere South.”
The MCA called for compensation to the people who suffered more losses and are living in difficulty since the eviction happened.
“Where these people are living no compensation and nothing happened,” he said.
Tarda managing director Emilio Mugo said that they acted upon the court’s direction.
“The authority did what the court ordered,” he said.
“The court granted execution orders on September 3 last year by the regional police commander to match the previous hostility met by the authority who tried to get to the ground.”
The residents explained the suffering they went through during the eviction process and what they are going through since then.
They said they have been living in fear since then.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris