Some members of the Kachuth community in Kwabwai, Ndhiwa constituency want the State to help them reclaim their land.
The residents claimed some individuals have taken possession of the over 950 hectares piece of land that were reserved for them to support their day-to-day activities and livelihood.
The national government through the Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife and that of Lands agreed to reserve the land for communities bordering Ruma National Park in Homa Bay County.
The land starts from God Keyo in the Suba South constituency to Mirogi in the Ndhiwa constituency.
The government fenced the game park and allowed the land to serve as a buffer zone to prevent wildlife-human conflicts in the area.
On Monday, residents Edwards Oyugi, Jane Anyango and Michael Maoto said the Kachuth community is losing its land.
Oyugi argued that there are individuals who have obtained title deeds of lands within their section and sold them to other private developers.
“They have already sold 190 acres without our consent as residents of Kachuth. Let the national government address the matter by taking it back to the community,” Oyugi said.
Speaking during their meeting with Homa Bay human rights defender Evans Oloo at the Oriang area in the Kachuth sub-location, Oyugi said that losing the land would interfere with their sources of livelihood.
The lands are used for various agricultural activities like farming and grazing of livestock.
Residents also source water from tributaries of river Nyamarige.
Oyugi said members of the community who neighbour the already sold acres piece are impoverished.
“They have no farming and grazing fields. Beneficiaries of the grabbed land have fenced their areas and caused the suffering of the residents,” he said.
Anyango who is 83 years old decried of frustrations they have been subjected to since the land was taken away.
The senior citizen said she is among those who negotiated with the government to reserve for them the land to source their livelihoods.
Members of the community were asked not to let the land go as the government and other relevant agencies were called to provide an amicable solution.
Their section starts from Kaksingri to Lwanda Nyamarige.
He called on the government to revoke the title deeds which have been obtained by the alleged land grabbers.
Maoto said they would not allow their land to go.
“Members of this community will not tire from fighting for their rightly owned land. They are calling the government to help them recover the land in peace,” Maoto said.
He said they want the matter treated with utmost urgency to avoid any possible feuds between members of the community and the alleged grabbers.
Oloo said it is an offence for individuals to take and register community land as theirs without consultation.
