Residents of Matanya land buying company in Laikipia central district are up in arms over rampant land grabbing, accusing administration officers, land registrars, and directors of collusion.
While airing their grievances to Laikipia County Land Management Board on Thursday, majority of the victims said absent land owners and the elderly are major targets in the scam.
They said most potential land buyers are defrauded and lose large amounts of money after they realise several of them possess a title deed of the same parcel of land.
A woman was forced to surrender 13 title deeds of several parcels of lands she had bought to the land registrar after she realised she had been conned.
She narrated how two of the company directors, who attended the meeting, colluded with cartels in the land registry to con her of her money.
“The two directors who are in this meeting and I can see them, conned me money. I had no otherwise other than to return the documents. Now I do not know how I will get my money back” the woman who was accompanied by her two sons said at the meeting.
Country lands executive Virginia Nderitu, and Laikipia East MP Anthony Mutahi warned potential land buyers to be cautious, urging them to verify title deeds before committing their money.
“Most of these documents are fake and are made out of our offices. We are trying our best to save the situation” said Ms Nderitu.
She noted that former administration officers, including district officers and chiefs, were highly involved in the scam.
Both private and public land are grabbed, including land belonging to learning institutions, cattle dips, among others.
The land owners demanded that the original map of the the piece of land be availed to settle the disputes that have been on-going for the last 30 years.
