• Team set up to establish grabbed government land with a view of repossessing it for public use
• Reported to be forwarded to governor and county assembly
A task force set up to identify grabbed government land in Bungoma has so far conducted sittings in seven out of nine constituencies.
The team was appointed by Governor Wycliffe Wangamati. The constituencies covered are Mt Elgon, Sirisia, Kimilili, Tongaren, Webuye East, Webuye West and Kabuchai. The remaining two are Kanduyi and Bumula.
The 17-member task force is chaired by former Kanduyi and Bumula MP Lawrence Sifuna. It was set up to establish grabbed government land by individuals or groups with a view of repossessing it for public use.
The committee completed its 40-day public hearings on Thursday with a session at Luhya-Bwake ward, Kabuchai constituency.
Sifuna said the two counties do not have many land issues and sittings there could take just two days.
The committee heard that most of county government's land is encroached on and grabbed by powerful leaders in the community.
Sifuna said they will write a report and forward it to the office of the governor for perusal before it is handed to the assembly for adoption.
“We [have been] conducting regular sittings where opinions from community members are gathered concerning the irregularly grabbed land,” he said.
Wangamati has warned that no stone will be left unturned once the task force's report is forwarded to his office.
Sifuna said the team will ensure that all grabbed land is repossessed so the county has enough for development.
“The team will make sure that we identify and present the report within the set period. We assure his Excellency, the governor, and the public that we shall have an in-depth report which will be adopted by the assembly for the betterment of the county,” he said.
On February 11 Wangamati said the task force had been given 20 days to present its report. He said most public land has been grabbed by powerful individuals, making it difficult to build public amenities.
“This task force will identify grabbed land in our county so that it is later repossessed to help us put up public structures. Currently we lack land to put up such amenities,” Wangamati said.
“I will not tolerate any grabbing. All the people who acquired public land illegally should be prepared to surrender it, even if it includes myself as your governor. We should act as an example instead of waiting to be ashamed by the law.”
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya