• Bomet joins Kericho in push to have the British government compensate its people for flushing them out of their lands
•NLC to conduct fresh survey and audit for all farms owned by the white settlers in Kericho and Bomet
Bomet county will soon send surveyors to establish the acreage of the tea farms owned by multinational tea companies, Governor Joyce Laboso has said.
They seek to push for compensation from the British government.
Laboso said the team will visit the sites to evaluate the land to ascertain the exact area covered by tea. The aim is for the farms to be reverted to the county.
Speaking in Bomet when she met MCAs, the governor said she was committed to ensuring her people get justice for being forced out by white settlers.
She praised her Kericho counterpart Paul Chepkwony for seeking to compel the British government to the pay damages.
The move by the governor follows a comes in the wake of a declaration by the National Land Commission not to renew leases for the vast tea farms in Kericho and Bomet.
Unilever, George Williamson, Sotik Highlands and James Finlay are the multinationals operating in the two counties and which are set to be affected by the move.
The firms own up to 200,000 hectares which initially belonged to the residents.
The Kipsigis and Talai communities were displaced from the lands.
In its decision, the land commission said fresh survey and audit be carried out for all the farms owned by the white settlers in Kericho and Bomet.
It further said the lands should be reverted to the counties.
The counties' lawyer Kimutai Bosek expressed optimism the British government will yield to their demands.
During the meeting, Bosek said they will use alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms in pursuing compensation.
“The British government must humble itself and agree to pay for the damages. Our people suffered greatly; they are now poor after being flushed out of their lands, their houses torched and animals taken away,” Bosek said.
He added, “We were subjected to reserves in which that is most of our people who chased away are living in squalid conditions. The coming of Bomet is now a big boost for us on this idea.”
Bomet county assembly speaker Shadrack Rotich said as the legislative arm they are ready to support the cause be it by holding public participation as to educate residents.