A security meeting in Alidina, Jomvu constituency ended prematurely on Wednesday after angry villagers stormed in protesting alleged land grabbing.
The irate villagers said they have no faith in Jomvu chief Matano Hassan and assistant county commissioner June Salika in solving their issues.
The two had organized the security meeting and were addressing it when the villagers stormed.
They accused the two of ‘looking the other way’ while their land is subdivided and sold to private developers in the pretext of development.
Hassan and Saliku tried in vain to calm the irate villagers but they would hear none of their pleas.
“We all know who deals with land in the country. It is the National Land Commission. Allow us to finish the security meeting so that we can address your concerns after,” pleaded Saliku.
However, she was jeered as the villagers demanded that she address the matter immediately.
Choga Empeku, a villager, said the original size of the land was about 40 acres but has since been reduced to slightly over 20 acres.
Beja Nguta, a representative of the villagers, said they had been doing some farming on their land until early last year when they were told not to step into their farms.
“They keep on telling us there are development projects that are supposed to be started here. We have not seen any. What we see is surveyors come, and the next thing a private residence is put up. Is this the development they are talking about?” posed Nguta.
Most of the houses the Star saw on the land were relatively new.
Daudi Bisi, 76, said he first stepped into the land in 1992 after he was called by his father to serve the owner of the land on his farm.
He said the original owner of the land gave him a piece after he served him diligently.
“From last year, I have been receiving visits from strangers saying they have bought this land. They will have to remove me from here in a coffin,” he said.
The villagers want to continue farming on the lands.
“If there is any development project, all of us will see. We will allow the project to go on but we will not allow our lands to be sold to unsuspecting private developers,” Nguta said.
Saliku and Hassan were seen making frantic calls before they immediately called off the meeting.
“We will have to call another meeting another day,” she said before she left.