Over 1,000 members of the Maasai community living in Kedong ranch in Naivasha have a reason to smile after the government embarked on resettling them to pave way for the multi-billion Industrial Park.
Elders from the community have backed the resettlement programme and thanked the management of Kedong Ranch for donating 4,000 acres towards the exercise.
Naivasha subcounty commissioner Mathioya Mbogo said the affected families had been fully involved in the resettlement exercise.
Mbogo supervised the first phase of the resettlement. He said there were timelines in the construction of the special economic zone located on the 1,000 acres and off the Mai Mahiu-Narok road.
“In the first phase, we have managed to resettle 50 families that were on the land next to the industrial park and the next phase is underway,” Mbogo said.
The administrator said the families had already moved to the 4,000 acres donated by Kedong Ranch awaiting final sub-division of the land.
“The community leaders are undertaking the sub-division of the land through their surveyors and we are happy that they have decided to move out without being forced to,” Mbogo said.
He said the first perimeter wall for the industrial park was complete adding that the issues of roads and electricity were being addressed.
“We expect the works on the Inland Container Depot to be complete by end of December so that by next year goods destined for neighbouring countries can be collected from here,” he said.
Kitet-Sission community secretary Mike Roka said the resettlement had ended the perennial land dispute between them and Kedong Ranch owners.
He said that the community had sought the services of a surveyor to sub-divide the 4,000 acres so that all the affected communities can benefit.
“We fully back the ongoing resettlement by the government to pave way for the industrial park and we thank Kedong for donating the 4,000 acres,” Roka said.
edited by p. obuya
