Police kick out locals from disputed land in Embu
Residents try to gather their belongings after buildings were demolished in an eviction by police.
There was tension in Makima, Embu County on Saturday morning as police evicted locals from a disputed piece of land.
During the eviction, police demolished stalls at Ndunguni market and houses on the the land that officials say belongs to the Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority (TARDA).
Dozens of police officers took the residents by surprise and pulled down buildings amid protests from the locals.
Residents accused TARDA of using the police to kick them out of the land they had occupied for decades.
"Some of us have been living in this land since 1980s," one of the residents Elizabeth Muoki said.
Another resident, Elizabeth Mwongeli said the locals have lost confidence in the government because it has been mistreating them for no good reason.
They alleged a plot by influential people to grab the land where they have even buried their relatives.
Another resident, Peter Musyimi claimed that he was born and raised in the area he doesn't know any other home.
"We have buried our loved ones here and it is sad that police have started demolishing our shops and houses," he lamented.
Mr John Kilei said he had documents showing he was allocated the land legally and wondered why police had demolished his shop.
Mbeere South MP Geoffrey King'ang'i dismissed claims that the land belongs to TARDA. Mr King'ang'i called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to save his people from being kicked out of the land.
"Please President Kenyatta have mercy upon Mbeere South residents, " he pleaded.
Nominated MP Cicily Mbarire blamed the government for illegally evicting locals from their ancestral land terming the move as inhuman.
