BANGALE AND MADOGO RESIDENTS TO BE EVICTED SOON AS STATE AGENT GAZETTES THEIR LAND

BY ADOW JUBAT

Parliamentary committee on Environment and Natural Resource was on Friday told that 100,000 hectares of a community land in Bangale in Tana-River County has being was illegally grabbed by a government agency.

Speaking during a tour by the parliamentary committee in the area following a complaint by the residents, who claimed that Kenya forest service, have silently annexed a huge parcel of their grazing land and gazette it without their knowledge.

The visibly infuriated residents told the committee to follow up the matter and at the same time demanded immediate de-gazettement of the land which covers areas that falling on areas that is being settled by people as residential area.

 Bangali, a fast growing settlement is located along the busy Nairobi- Garissa highway and is 90 kilometers from Garissa.

The Environmental committees chaired by Samuel Ndiritu were on a fact finding mission after Bura Member of parliament Ali Wario who said his home and that of Tana River woman representative Halima Ware are among more than 60, 000 residents whose houses are now annexed as gazette government forested petition the committee to de-gazette the land.

The Mp said he petition the committee for the de-gazzetment of the land because it has created insecurity which could lead to bloodshed as a results of fighting of few naturals resources.

“Kenya Forest Service has infringed our right and they have violated the laws of the lands on ownership of community land and we demand to know who they consulted before they took over the parcel of the land,” said the Bura lawmaker.

Wario told parliamentary committee that the government has already taken huge chunk of land without compensation and that they are not ready to surrender any more.

The seemingly emotional legislature said those who gazette the land as forest had political interest and should be investigated for abuse of office adding that it was gazzetted on 16th December 2012, during the transitional period.

“It’s totally unacceptable taking community land without their
involvement, Mr. Chairman we demand immediate de-gazzetment of the same,” he added.

The mp said the said property has several social amenities such as
schools, hospitals, government offices and residential houses
therefore Kenya forest would have consulted all stakeholders before
gazzetting the land in question.

Adhan Arale, an elder also told the committee that their livelihood depend solely on livestock noting that the news that their land has been taken away has sparked fears that their livestock will not get grazing land they will be evicted.

“Did the Kenya forest has alternative place for us where do they want us to go if they take our land, do they want us to be squatters, does the government want us to be like monkeys, those people behind this should be investigated and brought to justice because the procedure to
gazette this land is not clear to us,” he told packed dining hall of Bangali secondary school.

Arale said they would resist any attempts to forcibly take their land whether government cooperation or private enterprise to grab their land by using the prescribe laws of the land.

The committee chairman Samuel Ndiritu later told journalists that they have heard the complains of the local communities on the land in question noting that they are genuine and they will take up the matter.

“We have received your complains because the constitution gives you a lot of powers to be heard that’s why we are here today and Would want to know why was the land gazzeted at the time of transition period where there were no proper laws regarding land at the time,” he said.

He urged the residents to conserve the environment while they give due consideration on matters on the land.

The hearing was attended by Tana River women representative Halima
Ware, Bura Mp Ali Wario among other County leadership.

The parliamentary committees’ members present were Chairman Samuel Ndiritu (Gilgil), Hassan Dukicha (Galole) and Sunjeev Birdi (nominated).

Ends….