Betrayed by Gov’t: Who will rescue 170 IDP families facing eviction in Nyandarua?

NYANDARUA, Kenya, Mar 25- At least 170 families resettled at the Muhu farm after the 2007/08 post-election violence in Nyandarua County are on the verge of being evicted, following a dispute on the ownership of the land.

The families were resettled on the 523-acre Muhu farm in 2009.

The owners of the property, Muhu Holdings Limited has now moved to court seeking orders to compel the families to vacate from the land.

According to the holding company’s lawyer Joseph Kahari, the government is yet to legally purchase the land citing that the resettlement is illegal.

“We want the families to be treated as trespassers and moved out. The owners intended to sell the land to the government but the deal never materialized. The land still belongs to Muhu Limited,” said Kahari.

Muhu Holdings however moved to the Nyahururu Environment and Lands Court where they sought and obtained an injunction against the families from developing on the property on February 15.

On January 18, the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had been living in a tented camp at the sidelines of the farm subdivided the entire parcel of land amongst themselves, while decrying delays by the government, despite a promise to resettle them.

“A temporary order of injunction is hereby issued restraining the 174 families from forcefully taking possession, trespassing, subdividing or interfering with the suit property,” Justice Yuvinalis Angima ruled.

Lawyer Kahari said, “In our new application we also want the families to be charged with contempt of court. They have subdivided the private land and set up their shelters on it. We want them committed to civil jail.”

Despite living in the farm for close to 13 years the IDPs are calling on the government to honor its promise and subdivide the land as promised, in 2008.

“It was the government that resettled us here, they must do the right thing. The president should resettle us and divide the land so that we can continue with our lives,” one of the IDPs, Margaret Wanjiru said.

The elderly on the farm are also calling for a speedy resolution saying that many are living under constant threats and in deplorable conditions.

“I have been here for 10 years and every time I am being reminded that I do not own this property. For how long should we suffer?” another IDP, Samuel Kariuki posed.

Hundreds of IDPs across the country are facing similar challenges with many yet to be issued with proper land documentation despite being resettled by the government after the 2007/2008 PEV.

At least 1,200 people were killed during the violence and 600,000 others internally displaced.