In the wake of a simmering conflict between camel herders and farmers in Taita Taveta,
Governor Granton Samboja has condemned the illegal grazing menace, saying it has to come to an end.
The governor formed a committee on Wednesday last week
to scrutinise the leases given by ranches to livestock owners. The
eight-member team will be chaired by Agriculture and Livestock executive Davis Mwangoma.
Samboja said the committee will be tasked with looking at the leases on whether there were letters of application to ranches, meeting and minutes by ranch owners, if the public was consulted and coordinates noted identifying the grazing areas.
They should also find out letter of tenants, whether the ranches are fenced off and if the number of animals in every ranch was considered before the leases were issued.
“The aim is to establish the legality of the leases and also come up with a resolution on how grazing fee shall benefit residents of Taita Taveta,” Samboja said.
The governor said they have also drafted a Movement of Animal Produce Bill 2018, which will guide them on the regulations and policies of livestock grazing.
"The Bill will be tabled in the county executive committee in the next five days, before being taken to the county assembly for debate,” he said.
Samboja said ranch owners should submit all lease agreements between them and livestock herders to the committee.
He said the directive is in line with the Community Land Act and Disease Control Act, and will help the government determine the movement of livestock in and out of the county.
"Once again, I wish to reassure the residents of Taita Taveta county that my administration is determined to bring to an end the animal-human conflict,” Samboja said.
COURT CASE
He said earlier on, there were false reports that gave false impressions that the Taita Taveta government had made an out-of-court settlement over the grazing conflict.
“We did not at any time talk about an out-of-court settlement. My administration is not targeting any community or persons, but is determined to protect the local population against exploitation of their grazing fields, the wanton destruction of their crops and deaths brought about by this conflict,” he said.
The governor said the local leadership should also speak in one voice concerning the matter, which has remained unresolved for many years.
“It is upon us as leaders to fiercely and jealously safeguard the little arable land in the county, as 62 per cent of our total land mass is under the national parks.
My administration is determined to bring to an end the camel conflict,” he said.
The herders had moved to court to stop the county government from detaining their camels found grazing in the region illegally.
The Voi High Court urged the two parties to initiate a mediation process.
Samboja said the herders must appreciate that the county is seeking to curtail illegal herding through policy formulation and deterrent measures, including instituting continuous census, vaccination and inoculation where need arises.
“They must also appreciate that there exist pertinent laws that govern cross-county animal movement. We are open to mediation as the court directs. However, they should come prepared to consider the welfare of our people as paramount in any discussion,” he said.
The next hearing on this matter is tomorrow.