The county government of Garissa has put on notice private developers who have in the last one month been illegally demarcating land.
Lands CEC Abdi Omar on Tuesday warned that action will be taken against such individuals, noting that the land belongs to the county government.
He spoke to the press after touring the area situated between Modikor Diiso and Shimbirey in Balambala constituency.
The tour by Omar and a number of MCAs came after an outcry from area residents.
When the press visited the area, huge chunks of land had already been cleared using bulldozers and beacons already erected.
Omar blamed some community members, whom he said were acting as conduits to some of the buyers after disguising themselves as being in a position to secure them papers.
“We will not allow people from far-flung areas, others even from outside the country in the name of investors, to come and grab acres of land. Some of the residents are also not clean. They are the ones encouraging all this,” he said.
He noted that it has reached a level where some people are sending money from outside the country in dollars to acquire huge chunks of land in the area.
"I want to warn and tell them that land is owned by the county government,” Omar said.
The CEC also cautioned county employees and those from the national land office against involving themselves in illegal registration of the land illegally acquired.
"These cartels are cordoning off the land for speculation purposes. They are targeting compensation from the Lapsset corridor infrastructure project," Omar said..
Nominated MCA representing the youth Hussein Mohamed said they have information of foreign companies getting land in the area.
He said they are using locals as conduits to acquire illegal land, but noted that they will work closely with the national and county governments ‘to stop them in their dirty tricks’.
“I want to urge community elders in the affected areas to remain vigilant and report those involved in the land grabbing and cases of bulldozers doing any illegal activity in the area. This acts of selfishness and driven by greed should not be allowed in our community," he said.
Sankuri MCA Mahat Maow and his nominated counterpart Gedi Adow also condemned the illegal demarcation and promised 'to fight it to the bitter end'.
Adow said the Livestock development and Ranch land management bill that will soon be tabled in the county assembly will end illegal acquisition of grazing land by private developers.
Edited by EKibii
