Vacate public land now! Rift Valley RC warns grabbers

Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Abdi Hassan has issued a directive for individuals occupying public land in Iten town to vacate with immediate effect.

Speaking in Iten town, Hassan said the directive for eviction from public land was issued in January but some individuals are still occupying land illegally.

“We are just doing our work, so let them not come to our offices disturbing us, we are not interested. The thing is, get out,” he said.

The RC said the government will not allow continued occupation of public land for the benefit of an individual or groups of people.

“Don’t even bother going to court,” he said, “It will be a waste of time.”

The regional commissioner said some individuals have remained adamant that they are rightful owners of public land although records show the acquisition was done irregularly.

“There’s a reason it’s called public land and if one wants to acquire public land there’s a procedure. The procedure done was a shortcut, a big one,” he said.

According to Kenyan laws, squatters or trespassers can legally occupy land if they stay on it for more than 12 years uninterrupted and without the authority of the owner.

Hassan, however, said this will not apply to those who illegally acquired and continue to occupy public land in Iten town.

He said there would be no development in the town if the government started listening to unending stories about who occupied what land and for what duration.

“These are crooks and the remedy for crooks is to deal with them accordingly and no one has ever defeated the government,” he said.

“So let them not waste their time going to court. You will waste your time, deteriorate and be finished at the end of it all."

The government is by law at liberty to evict people found to be illegally occupying public or personal land.

The law requires that the government and implementing authorities issue prior notice to affected individuals after which forceful evictions can commence.

If the government wants to establish a development project on personal land, the National Land Policy grants powers to the National Land Commission to compulsorily acquire land for public purposes on behalf of the National and county governments.

The rightful owner is, however, compensated based on the market value of the land.