Kibiko land row: Tension as two factions hold parallel elections
TOP: Mr Moses Parantai takes the oath of office at the Kibiko Grounds on May 4, 2024 after being declared the winner by his faction. BELOW: Mr Moses Monik addresses a group of Keekonyokie Ranch members in Ngong town on 4 May 2024 after being declared the winner by the other faction.
The battle for control of the Sh100 billion Kibiko Ranch intensified on Tuesday, June 4 after two factions held parallel elections.
The exercise, which saw the factions led by long-serving chairman Moses Parantai and the other led by Moses Monik elect their leaders, came after the Kajiado County security team led by County Commissioner Joseph Taari cancelled the May 24, 2024 elections, citing insecurity and poor preparations by the national government.
In a public notice dated 3 June 3, 2024, Mr Taari said: "Due to some security concerns arising from the purported annual general meeting of the Keekonykie Community Trust to be held at Kibiko grounds on June 4, 2024, the county security committee has declared the grounds a no-go zone."
He said the order had been communicated to the two factions who had agreed to cancel the purported meeting. He said police officers have been mobilised to ensure that no one is allowed near the venue from midnight on June 3, 2024, to 6pm on June 8, 2024. He advised community members to avoid the venue for their own safety.
However, by 6am on Tuesday, the Parantai-led team had erected tents for the exercise, but a contingent of heavily armed police removed the tents and cordoned off the area, forcing the two groups to move further inland.
By acclamation, the Monik faction declared themselves the winners and left the venue to celebrate in the towns of Ngong, Kiserian and Isinya.
"My group had the right to call the elections, and the members unanimously elected me as their leader, I will do justice to all, external forces have lost," said Mr Monik.
At Kibiko ground, hundreds of Parantai supporters declared him as their duly elected chairman before swearing in his seven-member team. Three lawyers led him to take the oath of office and handed him the certificate. Mr Parantai blamed the Kajiado County Commissioner for postponing the elections, saying he had no power to do so.
"The 25-year struggle has come to an end, we will now move forward and subdivide the land to our members, the members have spoken," Mr Parantai said on Tuesday.
Mr Taari told the Nation that the elections on both sides were a sham and would not be recognised by the county security team, adding that the court would decide whether or not the elections were conducted according to the set guidelines.
The elections were crucial for Keekonyokie Community Trust Land members, as the person elected as chairman would oversee the subdivision of the prime 2,800-hectare, multi-billion-shilling land at Kibiko Ngong.
