A land dispute has disrupted the construction of the Sh500 million Trans Nzoia County headquarters after a
prominent family accused the devolved unit of trying to forcefully acquire it.
On Tuesday, youths armed with arrows and machetes reportedly blocked a land demarcation exercise at the contested site. Police responded with teargas and fired shots in the air to restore order.
The teargas smoke is said to have
disturbed a nearby bee colony, triggering an attack that left several county
staff and journalists nursing stings. County secretary Truphosa Amere is among
those treated.
The dispute centres on a 1.25-acre
parcel next to the new county offices. The family says it
holds a 99-year lease on the land, dating back to 1994.
“We were shocked when the county started building a perimeter wall on our land without consent after talks on a possible purchase collapsed,” the family’s property manager Raphael Ololo said.
He also questioned the authenticity of some documents used in the
process.
Governor George Natembeya has rejected the family’s position, saying the plot belongs to the Department of Agriculture.
“This is public land and we will not allow illegal claims to
derail government projects,” he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba
Murkomen described the Trans Nzoia dispute as part of wider challenges
involving contested lands in the county.
He cited parcels claimed by the National Police Service and Kitale GK Prison, adding that the government is appealing a court decision on one such case.
The controversy threatens to
overshadow the county’s flagship project—a five-storey headquarters building
with a helipad.
Natembeya said he will continue
working with state agencies to protect public land, while the family insists it
will pursue its claim through legal channels.
