Angry mob confronts surveyors in fight for Sh70m Eldoret prime land

Patroba Jelagat talks to police about the boundary in dispute at Kipkorgot area in Ainabkoi Sub County

Patroba Jelagat talks to police about the boundary in dispute at Kipkorgot area in Ainabkoi Sub County during a confrontation that caused surveyors abandon survey of the disputed section of the Sh70million land.


Photo credit: Titus Ominde | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Surveyors were forced to leave after angry villagers stormed 
    the property, threatening to lynch them
  • Eldoret Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Ariri, had directed them to visit the land to survey and ascertain the boundaries and file a status report in court
  • Police officers who had gone to provide security for the surveyors were forced to whisk them to safety

Angry mob confronts surveyors in fight for Sh70m Eldoret prime land

An angry mob confronted surveyors who had been tasked by an Eldoret court to ascertain the boundaries of a Sh70 million disputed property.

The surveyors who arrived at the prime land on the outskirts of Eldoret town, ready to carry out the task, were forced to stop after angry villagers stormed the property, threatening to lynch them.

Boundaries

The surveyors were acting on an order issued by Eldoret Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Ariri, who directed them to visit the land to survey it and ascertain the boundaries and file a status report in court.

The magistrate ordered that mention confirming compliance would be next week on March 9.

At the centre of the dispute are an Eldoret widow, Ms Patroba Jelagat, and a senior employee of Parliament.

Ms Jelagat has pursued the matter for the past five years after a part of the prime property was allegedly grabbed by the PSC employee. She moved to court and filed the case against the Senate official.

Defendants in the matter include Mr David Sambu, Mr Simon Rono, Ms Emmy Chepkwony, Ms Esther Chepkwony, the Uasin Gichu county Land Registrar, the county 
government of Uasin Gishu, the county surveyor, and the Attorney-General.

Land dispute involving a widow and a parliamentary staff in Eldoret

Police officers from Naiberi police station, Eldoret, controlling rowdy residents who stopped surveyors from demarcating a boundary on a disputed Sh70million property involving a widow and a parliamentary staff.

Photo credit: Titus Ominde | Nation Media Group

Whisked away

Police officers who had gone to provide security for the  surveyors were forced to whisk them to safety and declared the survey halted on security grounds.

“Due to the volatile environment on the ground, the survey works will not proceed until further notice. The people here have become violent and unruly and therefore there will be no survey,” directed a senior police officer who declined to be named.

Angry villagers accused Ms Jelagat of using the police and the court to intimidate them.

“We cannot allow strangers to continue threatening us using the police and the courts. This is our village, we must be involved in such transactions,” an angry resident protested.