The fight to recover grabbed land in Kisumu has been handed a major boost after the county government successfully recovered Sh500 million parcel.
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong'o said the 1.5 acres in the CBD is a public recreational area known as Taifa Park, near the Aga Khan Hall.
“This land is valued at about Sh500 million at the current market rates. We now have the original title deed, which I am officially handing over to the lands department for safe custody,” Nyong'o said.
The recovered land was part of the 39-title deeds for public property worth Sh5.2 billion which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission handed over to President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, on April 4.
Nyong’o, who attended the event received the Taifa Park title deed after a spirited fight for it through the national government support.
He lauded the National Land Commission, EACC and Kisumu land task force for helping to win the war of grabbed public land.
“I want to assure the people of Kisumu that the recovery of Taifa Park is just but a tip of the iceberg,” Nyong’o said.
He said his government in partnership with the NLC and national government agencies have been on a drive to reclaim irregularly and illegally acquired public land within the county.
This, Nyong'o said, has led to the recovery of several parcels whose ownerships were reverted to the county government.
“We will recover more in the coming days. I warn those with an appetite for public land to surrender before we come for them,” he said
“One of these grabbers is claiming ownership of the land where a public market has existed for decades. How did he acquire this public land? We will not allow him to get an inch of an acre.”
Nyong'o accused a politician seeking a top seat in the county of supporting land grabbing in the county.
He, however, did not name the politician who he claimed was supporting the heinous act of grabbing Kibuye market land.
Nyong’o said some Kisumu residents who were duped by those cartels into unknowingly acquiring some of these public parcels have voluntarily surrendered the illegally acquired titles.
Businessman and former councillor Naresh Patel who was a beneficiary of the proceeds of those cartels surrendered a quarter acre of land within the Kibuye market.
Nyong’o commended Naresh and urged other people who illegally acquired public land to emulate him.
“I want to encourage people of goodwill to join us in this war by surrendering all illegally and irregularly acquired public properties,” he said.
The county boss urged the media to help in the battle of recovering grabbed public land.
Nyong'o said his government has been investigating claims of individuals grabbing large tracks of public land which belonged to the now-defunct Kisumu Municipal Council.
In 2017, he formed a task force to look into grabbed public lands in Kisumu.
However, Nyong’o who has yet to make the report public defended the move saying it was a confidential report they will use in their favour together with EACC, NLC and Asset Recovery Agency to repossess all public lands.
Among the grabbed pieces of land, some were earmarked for markets, schools, roads reserves and other public utilities.
Nyong'o said the grabbers have been viciously fighting back, with some of them going to court to fight for land that belongs to the public.
Lawyer Joshua Nyamori said Nyong'o should immediately publish the report by its task force on the land grabbing menace in Kisumu.
Nyamori said Nyong'o should set a public timetable on how the report is being implemented in its entirety and not selectively.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
