•The team led by Robinson Torome, William Sipaiand Raphael Kerenke claimed the deal was done behind their backs.
• When the British settlers left after Independence, the Kitet Maasai continued to live on their land until 1972 when the Muguga Company leased it.
Some members of Kitet community in Naivasha have rejected the 4,000 acres given to them by Kedong Ranch management in July last year.
In a meeting on the 75,000-acre ranch near Suswa town on Friday, the members said four unnamed but well-known people entered into an “illegal” deal with Kedong ranch management to get their ancestral land.
The team led by Robinson Torome, William Sipai and Raphael Kerenke claimed the deal was done without the knowledge more than 30,000 members of the Kitet community.
“We are now aware that the four men went round our backs and entered into an illegal deal with the ranch management. The deal was meant to entice to withdraw our land case in court,” Torome said.
Torome said legendary Laibon Lenana signed an agreement with the British settler community members, who lived in Kedong, in 1904 that the land would be returned to the Kitet community when they were done with it.
He said when the British settlers left after Independence, the Kitet Maasai continued to live on their land until 1972 when the Muguga Company leased it to fatten steers
Change of names
“Soon after Muguaga Company acquired the 75,000-acre land, they changed the name to Kedong ranch. For more than 40 years, we have been fighting for this land in the courts,” Torome said.
Sipai said in 2010 the community went to court again seeking an injunction to stop Kidong Ranch from using the land until their case is heard and determined.
Sipai said the deal that was secretly done in July last year was intended to entice the community to withdraw a case in court challenging the ownership of the ranch.
“We cannot exchange 4,000 acres with 75,000 acres we inherited from our forefathers. It will not happen because this land is dotted with graves of our forefathers,” he said.
Addressing the press during special prayers at Suswa town in July last year Mike Roka said the government had done its part in trying to find finding a truce between them and the Kedong ranch management.
As a result, he said more than 2,500 families would be resettled on the land with each getting an equal share.
“Kedong ranch has more than 75,000 acres. We are grateful that we will get land. We will move with speed and withdraw the case we filed in court about 21 years ago,” he said in the Suswa meeting last year.
At the same time, Roka said the community fully supports the government projects being implemented in the area.
On the same land, the government has allocated itself 1,000 acres, 1,000 acres to Uganda government and 1,000 acres to South Sudan for construction of dry ports.
Trenches
The farm is being guarded round the clock by armed police officers who drive in every morning with trucks without number plates.
A five-foot trench has been dug around the settlers' land, posing danger to grazing Maasai cows and children. The residents say they are forced to use one exit while taking their sick to the hospital because of the trench.
Toromw says so far 10 cows have died after falling into the trench. While The Star was interviewing residents, an elderly man fell into a trench but was assisted by others to come out.
The land in Naivasha constituency reaches Narok East constituency on the west, and Kajiado West constituency on the east. The Mai Maihu-Narok road passes across the land.
The British farmers moved to the land in 1885 after resistances Maasai morans, many of whom were killed as they resisted the takeover of their land.
Kerenke, one of the ranch activists, said, "When the white people came to our land, morans attempted to chase them away but were gunned down. It took them a long time to learn that the British farmers had guns that could kill instantly.”
He said the late founding President Jomo Kenyatta, retired President Daniel Moi and retired President Mwai Kibaki never interfered with their Kitet land.
“When Uhuru Kenyatta was elected in 2013, he assured us at Suswa during his election campaign that no one will touch our land,” Kerenke said.
In a show of hands, the Kitet Maasai said while they support the Building Bridges Initiative, their hearts are “heavy” because the government of the has failed to ensure land justice for them.
“We are telling Preisdent Uhuru Kenyatta to take that BBI away from the Maasai people of Kenya until all the land issues bordering on injustices are resolved,” Torome said..
Shareholders
Shareholding information of the Kedong ranch available at the land registry in Nairobi shows it is owned by 23 individuals and companies.
They are; Muhotetu Farmers Company Ltd (40.66 per cent), Family Circle Investment Ltd (6.83 per cent), Grace Njambi Wood and Pascal Babu Wood as administrators of the estate of Raymond Babu Wood (3.76 per cent.
Others are Jeremiah Joseph Nyaga (3.41 per cent), Longonot Eleven Investments Ltd (3.25 per cent), Margaret Wamboi Kenyatta (3.25 per cent), Beth Muigai (3.25 per cent) and Jackson Harvester Angaine (3.25 per cent).
Also on the list are; Ian Kipkoech Martin (3.25 per cent), Paul Muigai (3.25), Susan Wahu Muigai (3.25), Njuguna Njao (3.25 per cent), Victor Njuguna Wamagata (3.20 per cent), Margaret Muthoni Wanyee (3.10 per cent)§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ and Said Mohammed Amin (2.93 per cent).
The long list also includes; Njoroge Mungai (2.93 per cent), John Stephen Ngethe Thiani (2.24 per cent), Willie Allan Muhia Njao (1.95 per cent), Gathacha Itate (0.98 per cent), Erastus Kagwe Nahashon (0.98 per cent), J.M Kariuki (0.33 per cent), Daniel Gilbert Kimani (0.33 per cent), Waruhiu Itote (0.33 per cent) and Victor Wamagata (0.06 per cent).