Some of the residents who complain about possible eviction without notice in Suba South constituency/Robert Omollo
More than 100 families in Suba South Constituency have called on the government to halt plans to evict them from their land.
The families claim the national government is using state officers to evict them to pave the way for the construction of a new prison.
Their troubles began when the officers started erecting beacons to demarcate the boundaries of the agency's land.
The residents allege that the officers have encroached on their parcels of land through the demarcation carried out this month.
The government plans to relocate Homa Bay Prison from Homa Bay Town to Lambwe Valley.
The residents say the state officers are now forcing them to vacate their homes and farms without providing alternative land or compensation. They also claim they were not given any notice.
A resident speaks to journalists in Lambwe, Suba South constituency/Robert Omollo
The families, led by senior citizens Walter Onyango and Enos Achieng, said they have lived on the land since 1972.
Onyango said the NYS erected boundary beacons in 1986 and there had never been any conflict over the land until now.
"Most of us have stayed here for a long time, and we wonder why the government claims ownership of the land. The beacons they put up have encroached on most of our land because I have stayed here since 1972," Onyango said.
Speaking to journalists in Nyadenda Village, Suba South Constituency, the residents said the fresh demarcation violates their land rights.
"What has happened here shows that the land expands like Lake Victoria, whose waters keep stretching during the rainy season. They expect me to demolish my home and relocate to an unknown place," Onyango said.
Achieng said they suspect the planned eviction is intended to create space for the relocation of Homa Bay Prison to the area.
He urged the government to adopt a better approach to acquiring land for the project, saying affected residents should be compensated and provided with alternative land.
"The plans to relocate Homa Bay Prison to the NYS land here should not interfere with us as residents. They should not wrongly evict us to create land for the prison," Achieng said.
Human rights defenders Evance Oloo and Michael Kojo expressed concern that the families were facing eviction without any public participation.
Oloo urged Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to intervene and resolve the land dispute.
"Let Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome ensure the boundaries are properly established to avoid chaos. They should clearly define the boundaries to ensure residents do not lose their land," Oloo said.
Kojo said they were prepared to move to court if the government failed to resolve the matter amicably.
"These people were not given any notice as the law requires. We are giving the government seven days to resolve this matter, failing which we will go to court," Kojo said.
Suba Central Deputy County Commissioner Naftali Kojo said he had not received any complaint regarding the matter.
"I cannot comment on the matter because it has not been reported to my office," Kojo said.
