MORE than 33,000 acres belonging to the East African Portland Cement Company in Athi River is under threat of being grabbed.
For one year, the company has been putting up notices on newspapers, warning the public against being defrauded, but it says the grabbers seem determined to steal more land.
In a statement to newsrooms yesterday, EAPCC managing director Kepher Tande said the situation is tense after police used bulldozers to demolish structures put up by grabbers two weeks ago.
“The invaders are posing a security threat because the groups are fighting one another, while others have fenced off part of our quarry where we get crucial minerals for cement production,” he said.
Tande said the grabbers have circulated leaflets, threatening non-locals claiming ownership of the land.
The land that has been invaded by 12 land-buying companies.
Last Tuesday, a man was shot dead as the groups fought for the land.
Tande said some groups have acquired fake court orders restraining police and the company from bringing down several shanties put up by the grabbers.
He urged police to investigate the orders and help them recover the land.
Tande said some of his staff were last week attacked by the invaders in the presence of police, as they tried to put up a billboard warning the public about the ongoing fraud.
“This issue is getting messier as days go by. The company is worried this is having a negative impact on the organisation. The invaders are disrupting mining operations, thus the factory is not operating at its maximum potential,” he said.
