Settlement schemes are meant to blend tribes' and communities' coexistence, not to divide them into tribal enclaves as in Lamu county.
Truth be told, in Lamu, it is not even a settlement scheme but an invasion of one big tribe taking over the political, commercial and agricultural spheres while elbowing out the natives.
While at it, apparently, religious, political and cultural differences among the communities living in the schemes sometimes lead to conflicts, even if spoken of in hushed tones.
We cannot bury our heads in the sand and assume nothing is happening vis-a-vis the land issue, particularly in Lamu.
For as long as we can remember, land has always been a fundamental problem. Like most ancestral lands that were owned by the white settlers, Lamu county and its natives face a danger of extinction.
In the North Coast county, which is often marginalised, land tenure is frequently abused to benefit specific communities to the detriment of the indigenous population.
Even worse, the administration and security organs are heavily tilted toward the people of Mt Kenya region, who have been settled in the area.
We need to be alive to the fact that when integration interferes with the demographics, it sets up hostilities. It is sad, but presently, it is much easier for the non-indigenous residents of Lamu to obtain a title deed than the natives.
Furthermore, the Lapsset project, which, like all other public projects, should first benefit the local community, has not helped the Lamu people in any way; even land compensation for the project is skewed.
While we always have and will always endeavour to have one united nation, as of now, we should not lie to ourselves that Kenya is one people. Often, we identify ourselves by tribe rather than the country Kenya.
To solve this problem, the government should seek to amicably and fairly address the land problem in Lamu settlement schemes and give priority to its native people.
Currently, most Lamu natives feel like they are second-rate citizens in their own country, and their resentment of outsiders, particularly the people from Mt Kenya, who are controlling their economy, politics among other spheres, is a time bomb waiting to explode; if not addressed while it is day.
Chairman of Muhuri
